Fuketsu no Goten
by Spunky0ne
Summary: A young prisoner of the secret noble prison, Itamigiri, disappears into the Dangai and is dropped on Ichigo's doorstep. As Ichigo helps the young man recover, he learns the heartbreaking truth about the cruelty and corruption within the noble clans...yaoi, mpreg...Ichigo/Tetsuya
1. The Hunt

**Fuketsu no Goten (Palace of the Impure/Unclean)**

**By Spunkyone**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Hunt**

"Tetsuya, wake up," Naoki whispered, shaking his younger cellmate gently to wake him.

Tetsuya stirred sluggishly, his sapphire eyes betraying discomfort as they met the other youth's in the darkness.

"What is it?" Tetsuya asked softly.

"He is here. Come quickly now. We haven't much time until the next guard change."

Tetsuya caught his breath softly, his eyes meeting those of the guard that waited just outside their cell. He rose silently, placing a hand on his abdomen and trying to ignore the sick feeling inside as he followed his cellmate to the cell door and waited while the guard removed a key from his pocket and opened it.

"Come this way, and do not make a sound," the guard warned them.

He led them away from their cell and through several more rows of cells before turning them into a long corridor, then using another key to let them into a concealed inner corridor, usually only used by the guards and off limits to prisoners.

"There won't be anyone in this corridor right now," the guard explained, "but hurry. It won't be long until someone passes through for another shift change."

The three slipped into the hidden passage and moved along its length quietly.

"Thank you for doing this," Naoki whispered to the guard, "I wasn't sure how much longer we were going to be able to hide it."

The guard gave Tetsuya a sympathetic smile.

"I understand. Although Byakuya-sama is going to invade soon, I think that it would have been discovered before then, and because I cannot do anything that might reveal me to the ones who run this place, I could not contact Byakuya-sama to tell him of the situation. But I can get you to a place where we can open a senkaimon. Just...listen carefully. When you arrive in the living world, you must look for a man named Urahara Kisuke. He will not know to expect you, but if you tell him your story, then he should be willing to help you. And in a few months when the raid takes place, you can return to the Seireitei and give testimony to Central 46 about what you experienced here."

The guard left off speaking suddenly and looked about, listening carefully. Hearing nothing, he urged them on to another door that led out onto a small balcony overlooking the area just beyond the prison. The three froze as a flash of kido lit the area below them, and several screams sounded, followed by vicious laughter. They heard the sound of running feet on the hard trail below them, then more kido blasts and cries of terror, and more laughter.

"B-bastards!" hissed the guard, looking sickened.

"What are they doing?" Tetsuya asked, staring, "D-did those people try to escape? Is that why they are killing them?"

The guard and Naoki exchanged dark, knowing glances.

"They didn't try to escape," the guard said, his fingers touching the blade at his hip, "It's Kuchiki Orochi and his bunch. The commander at the prison likes the weakened and more troublesome prisoners to be culled. So, he lets Orochi and his men take them out into the woods down there and let them loose. They run. They try to hide..."

Tetsuya flinched and tears came to his eyes as another scream sounded.

"But no one ever escapes," the guard finished, "I hate it...what they're doing."

"C-can't you stop them?" asked Tetsuya, wiping away a tear, "You are helping us."

The guard took on a guilty look, but tightened his lips and shook his head.

"I cannot reveal myself until the raid begins. You see, as soon as Byakuya-sama arrives and things begin, the bad ones here will probably start to kill the prisoners. They don't want anyone to know what they have done here. Byakuya-sama has sent several of us in to prepare for that."

He gazed down at the quieting woods below them.

"Orochi was actually one of the ones sent to assist. Byakuya-sama will be furious when he learns of his cousin's activities here."

He met the two prisoners' eyes meaningfully.

"But then, you two know about how awful he is, ne?"

Naoki and Tetsuya exchanged glances and nodded.

"He has been particularly cruel to you two. In fact, I first wondered if the baby might be his."

"No," said Naoki, smiling proudly, "The healer that you had help us told us that the baby is definitely mine."

"That is good," said the guard, looking down at the area below them again.

They waited until the woods had gone silent, then the guard turned to speak to them again.

"I will take you down there one at a time, because you can't flash step down yourselves. As soon as we are concealed in the trees, I will open the senkaimon. From this point on, there is no going back. If we are found after we come down off of this balcony, we will be killed."

"Then, why not open the senkaimon up here?" asked Naoki, "Why do we have to chance going down where those men were killing people?"

"Because everywhere else around here, there are hidden devices watching I was able to damage a few so that we could get to here, but the senkaimon can only be covered...kept from their eyes, down there."

He nodded to Tetsuya.

"I'll take you down first."

Tetsuya shivered and swallowed hard, but buoyed by a reassuring embrace and kiss from Naoki, he steeled himself and allowed the man to lift him into his arms. He closed his eyes and held on tightly as the guard flash stepped down from the balcony, then set him on his feet again.

"Stay right here, in the trees. The guards rarely look out here because with the cliff drop off, there's nowhere for anyone to escape on this side of the prison. But you want to stay hidden, just the same."

Tetsuya nodded and rubbed his abdomen to ease the discomfort as the man flash stepped back up to the balcony to retrieve Naoki. The two landed safely, but froze a moment later at the sound of footsteps approaching. The guard bit his lip nervously and slipped a small device into Tetsuya's hand.

"Take this and the two of you hide. Wait until I lure him away and then open the senkaimon."

Naoki and Tetsuya nodded and melted into the trees together, leaving the guard, standing in the open as Orochi approached.

"Makoto," the black-eyed shinigami said, curiously, "What brings you out here? I thought you weren't 'into' these kinds of things."

"I was just getting some fresh air."

"Hmmm," said Orochi, "An interesting place for that, ne? But a little dangerous."

Makoto shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. Tetsuya and Naoki watched breathlessly from within the trees as the two continued talking.

"So...just a few more months and we will be back home again," observed Orochi, "It has been a long task, remaining here, posing as guards."

"You have gotten very comfortable in your role here," Makoto observed.

"Well, you have been rather sloppy in yours," Orochi answered, his hand moving to his sword, "It would be unfortunate if you made a poor move and got yourself killed. Byakuya-sama's plans will surely not play out properly if our group is not able to defend the prisoners during the raid. We could lose a lot of these poor, miserable mixed bloods, and who wants to see them all slaughtered, ne?"

"I will be careful," said Makoto, "But come inside now, Orochi-san. We should have a drink and relax a bit before we return to duty."

Orochi smiled.

"You want to have a drink with me?" he asked, moving a step closer and curling his fingers around the hilt of his blade, "How very sociable of you. I thought that you didn't enjoy my company, Makoto. Was I wrong?"

"It has been a long assignment," said Makoto, "quite stressful. I cannot wait until it is over."

"Ah, yes. And that will be soon," said Orochi, loosing his blade and sliding it free from its sheath, "Sooner for some of us than others, ne Makoto?"

The guard's eyes widened.

"Orochi-san!" he said, backing away, "You are Byakuya-sama's cousin. You are part of the plans. He trusts you!"

"Yes," said the black-eyed noble, "And he is going to have no reason to _stop_ trusting me. I know you have been helping prisoners escape. You take chances, doing such a reckless thing."

"The ones I've helped, wouldn't have survived until the raid. They had to be evacuated sooner."

"I would have just put them out of there misery. There is no reason to risk exposing all of us with your recklessness!"

"I wasn't reckless! And at least I am not killing them myself as you are. I wonder if you are even committed to your part, or if you are just going to turn on us later. Byakuya-sama is a fool to trust you," Makoto said, drawing his own weapon and backing away more.

"Well, you are right about him being a fool...a mixed-blood loving fool. But not everybody in the family agrees with his tactics, and so...when he makes his raid here, those people have prepared...so that there will be no witnesses to give anything away."

"What? Then...you are a traitor!" cried Makoto.

"A traitor? Me?" queried the noble, "Don't you understand? These prisoners are trash. They are all dead."

He stepped closer, his hand tightening on his sword.

"_Byakuya-sama_ is dead."

He closed the distance and slashed at Makoto, who tried to block the strike, then reeled as the blade that crossed his, softened into the body of a serpent and slid down to sink its fangs into the man's arm.

"_You_...are dead."

Makoto stared at the snake that had coiled tightly around his arm, and he felt his legs weaken as the poison took hold.

"Y-you!" he managed weakly, "You will not get away with this! There _are_ witnesses! Everyone I've helped to escape! And they will come forward! You are going to pay for this!"

Makoto's legs gave way and he collapsed onto the ground, gasping and panting harshly.

"Y-you...you will pay!"

Orochi smiled wickedly.

"Foolish, foolish Makoto!" he said, shaking his head, "Don't you understand? The noble houses don't want to hear about this place. They don't want to know about it. And they don't want other people to know about it. I am not working alone, and before this is done, not only will all of the prisoners die...but every hint of this place's use will disappear. And your _Byakuya-sama_ will be completely disgraced. Not that he'll care much, since he will die in the raid! But don't worry about that. It's not your concern anymore."

Orochi recalled his blade, then slashed at the fallen shinigami. He watched calmly as the man's life force faded and his body disintegrated into spirit particles, then looked around briefly.

"And just in case you weren't alone..." he whispered, raising his hands.

Fiery red kido blasts erupted from his hands, flying into the trees and setting them on fire. Within the trees, Naoki grabbed Tetsuya's hand and pulled him into a run.

"B-but the cliff?" Tetsuya hissed, white-faced.

"We have no choice!" Naoki answered, "We have to open the senkaimon at the edge and jump. It's our only chance!"

The two were thrown to the ground and raked with heat as an explosion ripped through the area. They rolled to their feet and started to run again, but after a moment, Tetsuya noticed the other boy was limping.

"Naoki!"

"Keep running!" Naoki warned him, "The fire is closing in on us. We need time to open the gate! Run ahead and open it for us. You can move faster. Run, Tetsuya!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Tetsuya cried, taking his arm and pulling him along, "We go together or we die together!"

"No! No, we won't get the gate open in time. Please, Tetsuya! Go ahead of me and open it now. Wait for me there. Go! If you don't go, we'll both die in the fire before we can open the doorway!"

Tetsuya continued to pull his friend along, but realized quickly that Naoki had been right. The flames were closing in too quickly.

"All right!" he sobbed, finally, "I will go ahead to the cliff and open the gate. But you must keep running, Naoki! Do not leave me alone!"

"I will run. I will reach you, Tetsuya. I promise!"

Tetsuya turned and put his full strength into running. He pelted through the trees, moving ahead of the fire and reaching the cliff with only a few precious moments to spare. He opened the senkaimon at the edge of the cliff, just beyond the trees, then turned back to go and collect Naoki. He smiled in relief as Naoki burst out of the trees, just ahead of the flames. He ran towards Tetsuya, the fire lighting the air around him ominously.

He had almost reached Tetsuya, when a huge explosion of fire erupted behind him. Tetsuya screamed as he watched the fire swallow up his young lover, then it swelled menacingly in his direction. He was thrown off his feet by another explosion and forced into the senkaimon, but the fire raged over him and panic flooded his young body as he felt it trying to consume him.

But strangely, as he came down hard on his back and his head struck the ground, he felt the air go icy around him. A soft, feminine voice in his head whispered that everything would be all right, and Tetsuya went still, his eyes blinking and trying to focus as something hard and cold surrounded him. Outside of the icy barrier that had formed, the senkaimon closed, leaving Tetsuya alone in the dark as he turned over and crawled onto his hands and knees. His head swam warningly and spots danced before his eyes, but he found the direction that the guard that had helped them had told them to go. Tears flooded his eyes and ran in streams down his face as he moved forward, too injured to stand, only able to move forward on hands and knees, and barely able to see. He heard footsteps approaching him and quickly found a dark crevice to conceal himself in. His eyes widened and the breath froze in his chest as he spotted Orochi, walking through the precipice world with his sword drawn.

"I saw the gate open," he said, his voice echoing off the walls eerily, "I know someone made it into the senkaimon. Come out. You have endured enough. I will just take you back and will not punish you if you come out now. If you do not come out now, you will not live to reach your cell. Come out. Give up now, and you may live."

Tetsuya shrank deeper into the crevice, ignoring the small rocks that dug into his skin. He shivered as Orochi stopped only steps away and stood for a moment, looking around carefully, but just missing the presence of the youth in the hidden crevice. He looked up as the sound of the cleaner reached him.

"Oh well," Orochi said, smirking, "Looks like you're going to die in here. Are you sure you don't want to come out?"

He waited a moment longer as the sound of the cleaner grew closer, then flash stepped away. Spooked by the noise, Tetsuya emerged from his hiding spot and dragged himself to his feet. He turned in the direction that he had been told to go and staggered away, the sound behind him growing louder. He managed a jarring, limping run, but found quickly that running set his head spinning, threatening to leave him unconscious and in the path of the cleaner. And as panicked as he had become, he wasn't exactly sure that he hadn't missed the proper exit.

The cleaner came into sight, taking away all of the young man's options. He turned and threw himself through the nearest exit, tumbling down from the sky and crashing into a thick clump of bushes. A heavy gasp of pain escaped him, then he sank down into comforting darkness. He laid, on his side, one hand left resting on his slim abdomen, as though to protect the secret inside him.

Tetsuya wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he started to feel pain returning, and he heard a voice talking to him. He opened his heavily lidded eyes and found himself looking up into friendly brown eyes that reminded him painfully of Naoki's. A tear of memory leaked onto his face, and the youth leaning over him, brushed it away.

"I said you're gonna be okay now. But you need some healing."

Tetsuya blinked and stared at the other boy, as he helped him to sit up, then looked him over briefly.

"It doesn't look like anything too bad, but I think you have a concussion. Do you have a name?"

Tetsuya's lips moved, but couldn't seem to force anything out. He groaned as the other youth helped him stand, then caught him up in his arms as he immediately fell again.

"It's okay. Relax. I'll just take you to my friend, so she can heal you. Then we can talk about what happened to you. But...I really wish I knew your name."

"T-tetsuya," Tetsuya managed in a choked whisper.

"Tetsuya," repeated the youth, "You got a last name?"

Tetsuya shook his head.

"Just...Tetsuya."

"But you're a shinigami, ne? Are you in a squad?"

"Wh-what?"

"It's okay. Never mind. We'll talk later. By the way, I'm Ichigo...Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Ichigo," Tetsuya whispered, closing his eyes and resting his head wearily on the other youth's shoulder, "Arigatou."


	2. Nameless

**Chapter 2: Nameless**

Tetsuya woke to find his body bathed in a soothing, golden light and a girl near his own age gazing down at him through gentle, worried eyes. She smiled as she saw his eyes had opened, then squeezed his hand lightly to encourage him. Tetsuya said nothing, but watched her closely as the feeling of healing power flowed through his body, leaving him without pain and feeling surprisingly normal.

An odd feeling swelled somewhere inside him, somewhere beneath the familiar reiatsu of his and Naoki's unborn child. But he couldn't be sure what the feeling was. And before he could make sense of it, it blazed sharply, making the girl's light barrier shatter and sending her tumbling backwards.

"What is this?" Tetsuya cried, "What is happening to me?"

The door to the room they were in flew open, and the young man who had found him before, ran into the room, followed by a lighter haired man who wore a strange, striped hat. A shield rose in front of the three, and Tetsuya saw the elder man's hands rise warningly.

"What do you mean, attacking Orihime like that?" the man asked, sternly, "Didn't they teach you any manners back at the academy, kid?"

"A-academy?" gasped Tetsuya, "I don't know what you mean! I'm not doing this! My powers are sealed!"

"I sensed that his powers had been sealed and rejected the seal," Orihime explained, "Urahara-san, he didn't attack me. He didn't even look like he wanted to. I think he can't control his powers!"

The three watched in dismay as Tetsuya cringed back against the wall, on the bed, his hands gripping his midsection and his eyes terrified.

"What's happening? It hurts! Something is...!"

Hi mouth opened into a horrified scream as light flared around his body again, and something huge and black emerged and placed itself between the injured shinigami and his rescuers. Tetsuya reeled, staring in disbelief as the three people on the other side of the emerged creature watched the light fade, then gasped in surprise.

"Well, that's something you don't see every day..." Kisuke mused.

"What is it?" Ichigo breathed.

"Is it...a horse?" Orihime panted, blinking.

The creature's shape resolved into that of a tall, black Arabian stallion, whose fierce blue eyes were the same as the young shinigami's. The beast positioned himself protectively in front of Tetsuya, then looked back over a satin shoulder and nickered encouragingly at the young man.

"Who...who are you?" Tetsuya whispered.

He flattened himself back against the wall, crying out in surprise as a soft, wispy voice sounded in his mind.

_I am Arashi._

"What is this? What's happening?" Tetsuya gasped, feeling his head begin to spin ominously, "D-did you speak to me?"

Kisuke looked back at Ichigo and Orihime, who returned his gaze and shook their heads slightly.

"Did you say that he spoke to you?" Kisuke asked forcing calm into his voice.

"You didn't hear him?" Tetsuya said shakily, tears rising in his eyes, "But you...do _see_ him, don't you?"

"Yeah," said Kisuke, "We see him. What did he say to you?"

"He...ah...he told me that his name is Arashi."

"Arashi," Kisuke repeated, lowering his hands, "We are not going to hurt you or Tetsuya. Orihime was only healing him."

The stallion gave Kisuke a measured glance, then spoke again into Tetsuya's mind.

_Tell him that I apologize for frightening the girl. Your powers were released suddenly, and your weakened body could not handle the stress. I emerged from your soul to use that power you could not...to protect you._

Tetsuya swallowed hard and met Kisuke's eyes again.

"He told me that he is sorry for frightening Orihime. He says that...he emerged from my soul to protect me, because my body could not manage the sudden release of my powers."

"Fascinating," Kisuke breathed, meeting Arashi's powerful gaze, then stepping forward slowly, "Do you mind?"

Arashi stared back at him and bowed his head slightly.

The shopkeeper examined the horse slowly, taking careful readings and studying him from every angle before shaking his head and sighing in appreciation.

"A familiar?" he mused, "A vessel for protective power that seems to work on the level of a zanpakutou."

He glanced back at Tetsuya and saw that his hand was wrapped around the hilt of a lovely, slender blue steel sword.

"So, that just emerged too?"

"Y-yes," Tetsuya confirmed, "I didn't have one before. My powers were sealed away so that they wouldn't emerge while I was in the...while I was back there."

Kisuke's eyes narrowed and he grew wary again.

"You were a prisoner then?" he asked, "An inmate in Central 46, perhaps?"

"No!" Tetsuya exclaimed, shaking his head in dismay, "It wasn't like that! I'm not a criminal! I swear it!"

"Okay," said Kisuke, "but we know that you were held prisoner. So, why don't you tell us why...and where you were held. Maybe also, how you got here. What can you tell us?"

"I...everything seems scrambled!" Tetsuya exclaimed, placing his hands over his eyes, "It is...painful to try to...go back there! It...!"

He made a sudden exclamation of pain and collapsed onto the bed. Kisuke sought Arashi's worried eyes.

"We're gonna help him," the shopkeeper assured the stallion, "Don't worry. We won't let any harm come to him. I'll have to put a limiter on him to help him manage the power in his body, but he'll be fine."

The stallion gave him a brief nod, then stepped back.

"Orihime, why don't you give me a hand with him while Ichigo takes Arashi down to the training area. I think we want to keep him close to the kid in case that power burst of his attracts any unwanted attention. I'm also going to put him in a reiatsu-concealing gigai until we find out what his story is. Something's really strange about all of this."

"You don't think he was telling the truth?" Ichigo asked, "He seemed pretty sincere. He just seems really scared, Kisuke."

"Yeah, he does. Poor kid. I wonder what happened to him to make him like that."

"He didn't seem to even understand that he was feeling his own power before," Orihime said sadly.

"Maybe he hasn't...if he's been someone's prisoner for a long time," Kisuke surmised.

"But he looks like he's about my age," said Ichigo, "He must have been a prisoner at a very young age to not know what his own power feels like."

Kisuke leaned over the unconscious youth and began a careful examination.

"He's thin...emaciated...badly underfed and his body has been beaten and sexually assaulted on numerous occasions."

Orihime's eyes filled with tears and she sniffed softly, gazing raptly at Tetsuya's pale face as Kisuke continued.

"He has spent some time in kido chains. His eyes are overly sensitive to light, indicating he was kept somewhere dark. There are signs that someone with innate healing power may have healed him, from time to time."

He opened Tetsuya's yukata and touched several places on the young man's torso, sending flickers of reiatsu into his body.

"His spirit centers have been sealed away, and will be sensitive. But they haven't degraded. Still, it's a good thing that he got out of whatever that place was before they started to deteriorate. As it is, with some healing and careful training, I can bring his powers along slowly."

He started to withdraw his hands, then frowned and laid him on the youth's lower abdomen again, focusing his reiatsu on the area.

"Huh...well, I think we have a kid with some noble blood," he surmised.

"Oh?" said Ichigo, "How do you know that?"

"That's easy," said the shopkeeper, meeting Ichigo's eyes meaningfully, "Because this kid is pregnant."

"What?" Ichigo and Orihime gasped together.

"How can that be?" asked Ichigo, "Is he actually...a girl?"

"No," said Kisuke, shaking his head, "This is definitely a shinigami male. And the only male shinigamis in Soul Society that can reproduce like this, with other males, are the nobles who carry the ancient noble blood of the Breeders."

"Breeders?" Ichigo repeated.

"Yeah. You see, a long time back, during the war with the quincies, a lot of damage was done to the noble clans. Women and children were slaughtered in droves, and the noble families were close to extinction. One among them, a scientist, came up with the method of altering some noble males to receive reiatsu from other males and to form a spirit chamber inside. Inside the chamber, the reiatsu would mature. And when it was time, the reiatsu would emerge through the body of the male and then solidify. It was the only thing that helped the noble families hang on. But...after the crisis was over, they quickly forgot the role that those men had played. And when they realized that the boys born of the males were sometimes also Breeders, they turned against them. Oddly, the Breeders were supposed to have died out a long time ago. Occasionally, there's a throwback, and this kid might be one of them. If so, then he may have been imprisoned because of that."

"They still do that?" Ichigo asked, frowning.

"That's horrible!" Orihime exclaimed.

"It's not supposed to happen anymore, but as you know, Ichigo, what's 'supposed to happen' is a subjective thing when it comes to the noble families."

"So...there is maybe still a prison that was incarcerating him, even now? But, haven't things changed for the Breeders?"

"Well, there haven't been any around. Still, that whole thing about them dying out may just mean that some group or groups have been capturing and imprisoning them. This may be a secret prison."

"Well, what else could it be?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm not sure," Kisuke mused, "but that's something I'll keep working on. But...I need you to do me a favor."

"Yeah?"

"I'll put that kid into a gigai, and you take him to your house. If anyone asks, he's your cousin. No one should be able to tell he's a shinigami. I'll keep you updated, and you keep him safe. If he is from a secret prison, you can bet that someone will come looking for him."

"But, wouldn't Tetsuya be safer in one of your safe houses?" Ichigo asked.

"Usually. But...he loosed an awful lot of power just a little while ago. And I am sure that it was sensed by the twelfth division. They may even have seen him as he passed through the senkaimon...unless he used a noble entry...but how would a prisoner be able to do that? No, we have to assume that Kurotsuchi taichou will send someone...probably stealth force, to come and check things out. I need him out of here."

"What about him?" Ichigo asked, indicating Arashi, "Won't they be able to sense him?"

Arashi huffed out a soft breath and shook his head briefly.

"I guess he can hide his reiatsu," concluded Kisuke, "But, go on now. Get him outta here before Soi fon taichou and her merry men show up."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mayuri-sama," said Nemu, "I have something strange to report. An explosion of reiatsu at Urahara Kisuke's shop. It occurred a few hours ago, but was not repeated, and he made no report to us regarding it."

"Well, that's hardly a surprise," sneered Kurotsuchi, not even looking up from his console, "And why should I care if the fool blows himself up or not? What a waste of my time to go running around, bothering with the likes of him. Let him _blow_ himself up. It will save all of us a lot of trouble."

"But sir, the power that exploded was not Urahara-san's, nor did it match that of any of our operatives in Karakura Town."

"So, it was a joker from out of town. I repeat, who cares?"

The reiatsu pattern matched one that entered the precipice world yesterday and disappeared after. We knew that the cleaner had gone through and suspected that the one it came from had been swallowed up."

"Did you run an identification on it?"

"Yes, sir. It did not match any known military, nor did it match Central 46's criminal watch list or any of the lists from the noble families."

"So, this is some rogue that has joined up with Urahara, eh?" Kurotsuchi said, looking somewhat more interested, Did you get a visual?"

"No, sir. There were strange explosions in the precipice world in that area, and the cleaner appeared to sweep everything away."

"Well," said the twelfth division taichou, "It seems like some of the trash didn't get put out, ne?"

"Mayuri-sama!"

"All right, then. Report it to Soi fon taichou and have the stealth force go and detain the person who matches that reiatsu pattern!"

"Yes sir!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Taichou," Renji said, smiling, "Thanks for inviting me over to dinner. It was really great."

"You are welcome," said the noble, "And I am glad that you were willing to join me for a walk up here to my favorite place for looking at the moon."

"Well," the redhead said good naturedly, "I had to stretch my legs and work off some of that mountain of good food I ate, right?"

"Yes."

"And besides, you kinda looked like you still wanted to talk to me about something."

Byakuya met his eyes fleetingly and Renji felt a soft, sweet jolt inside.

"How very astute," the noble complimented him, "There _is_ something that I wanted to..."

He broke off, looking annoyed as a hell butterfly flitted into view and paused in front of him.

"Aww, damn it all to hell!" Renji sighed, "Just when this was getting good..."

"I am sorry, Renji," Byakuya said regretfully, "But it is a priority message. I am required..."

"Yeah, I know," Renji said, still smiling, "Go on."

Byakuya nodded to the dark insect.

_Kuchiki taichou,_ said Kurotsuchi Nemu's soft voice, _We have recorded a reiatsu signature within the precipice world that we cannot identify. We have already checked it against the military files and the files in the Central 46 system. The soul has been at the site of several explosions and bursts of dangerous reiatsu, and is wanted for questioning. It was last sensed several hours ago in Karakura Town, and we are awaiting word of the soul's capture. Mayuri-sama wishes that you should check the database in your family archive, as you have complete listings of all nobles' reiatsu as part of the histories your family is in charge of keeping. Please respond and cc Soutaichou._

"Aww, man!" sighed Renji, "What guy. Ruins a perfect..."

Renji froze as warm. slender arms wrapped around him suddenly and a soft, sweet mouth fastened hungrily onto his.

"Holy...!"

He couldn't speak as Byakuya pushed him back against a sakura tree and pressed up against his body provocatively.

"Oh! Oh gods, Taichou! Oh, I hope this means you're gonna tell that guy to fuck off! Cause...you...mmmmmmm...are...giving me a really hmmnnnn...huge hard on!"

His legs wobbled and he almost collapsed as Byakuya released him.

"My apologies if I was out of line," the noble said, eyeing him and smirking, "It is just that...after all of the planning that went into getting you up here alone with me, I could not let you escape without at least a good night kiss. You aren't...angry, are you?"

"Angry?" Renji repeated, chuckling as he realized that he was clenching the front of the noble's fine kimono, "Yeah, I'm pissed as hell"

Byakuya's face fell, and Renji pulled him in for another kiss, surprising a confused look onto his face.

"But...?"

"I'm angry cause that creepy taichou from the twelfth messed up such a great first date, Taichou."

Renji grinned as a slow smile bloomed sweetly across Byakuya's face.

"So, do you _have _to do that now?"

"Unfortunately, yes," the noble confirmed, "However, if you wish, you may accompany me to the family archive and assist me with this research. I warn you, though...you may be forced to stay all night."

"Oh," the redhead said, nodding, "Thanks for the warning. But do you have stuff for making tea in there?"

"That," said Byakuya, "and a lovely recess, perfect for taking rest breaks during the night."

"Hey," laughed Renji, "That sounds like my kinda research."

"Then, you are...willing?"

"Oh yeah," Renji said, aiming for his mouth again and just missing as he pulled away.

"Very well," Byakuya said, smiling coyly, "Come with me, Renji."


	3. Noble Savage

**Chapter 3: Noble Savage**

"You can have my room for now," Ichigo said, setting a tray of food in Tetsuya's lap, "I'll just sleep down on the couch."

"Oh, you do not have to do that!" Tetsuya objected, "I don't want to trouble you."

"You're not," Ichigo assured him, "I fall asleep in front of the TV a lot anyway."

"T-TV?" Tetsuya queried uncertainly.

"Oh, you've never seen one?"

"No," the noble answered, "Never."

"Well, I'll show that to you tomorrow, when my sisters are off at school and we'll be alone here. That way, there won't be so much to surprise you."

Tetsuya looked down at the meal in front of him and the chopsticks that had been set beside his plate. He bit at his lip gently, remembering having seen the guards eating with such sticks, but not wanting to look stupid trying to manage them. Instead, he tried the tea, and winced as it burned its way down his throat.

"Careful," said Ichigo, "that's hot."

"S-sorry!" Tetsuya exclaimed, "Where I came from, it was always rather cold."

He looked down at the food longingly, but couldn't bear the thought of Ichigo laughing at him for not being able to figure out something so simple.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked in a friendly voice, "I know you've gotta be hungry. Go ahead. Try something."

"I..." Tetsuya stammered, his eyes tearing, "I am not so hungry after all. I don't feel so well."

"But Kisuke said that you are gonna have a baby," Ichigo objected, still using that same quiet, friendly tone, "If you're going to have a baby, then you should make sure that you eat right, ne?"

"I..." Tetsuya whispered, a tear leaking onto his face, "Th-they never gave us th-those. They worried that we might sharpen them and use them as weapons."

Ichigo froze, following his gaze down to the chopsticks.

"Hey," he said bracingly, "It's okay. I'll show you how."

He picked up the chopsticks and showed the youth how to hold them. Then, he handed them to Tetsuya to practice with and left to find another pair. He returned to the room, to find the noble managing small bites of food with less than perfect accuracy, but more than ample effort.

"You are hungry," Ichigo said approvingly, "And you're doing well with those, really."

"Th-thank you, Ichigo," Tetsuya said through a mouthful of food.

He stopped himself, remembering that he had heard somewhere it was rude to speak and eat at the same time.

"S-sorry!"

"Stop apologizing, okay?" Ichigo chuckled, "I know that you were a prisoner...seems like from when you were very young. Did you remember anything else?"

"Mmmmmm," Tetsuya mumbled, swallowing a large bite of rice, then attacking the vegetables on his plate, "There was a garden. I learned to grow tea leaves."

"That's good," Ichigo aid encouragingly, "We could grow some here, if you like...or other things. We have a vegetable and herb garden out back."

"I think I would like that. I like freshly grown things. They smell good, unlike the rotted things they gave us to eat. I used to steal some things from the garden when the guards looked away. I was beaten a few times for stealing. I know it was wrong, but they were just so beautiful and they smelled so good, I couldn't help it!"

"I'm sorry you had it so rough. You seem like a really nice person, Tetsuya."

He thought for a moment.

"Do you remember any names of people where you were?"

"J-just Naoki," Tetsuya said, tearing up again, "H-he is the baby's...w-was the baby's father."

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said, slipping an arm around his shoulders.

"Ichigo, there was something that Naoki used to do...to keep the baby's reiatsu and mine in balance. But...Naoki died. And...I don't know what I can do if a problem arises with the baby's reiatsu."

Ichigo thought for a moment, then smiled.

"Could you tell me what he did? Maybe I could try to help."

"He would sit behind me and put his arms around me," Tetsuya said softly, blinking away more tears as he remembered, "And he would let his reiatsu flow, just a little bit into my stomach, where the baby is growing. We had our powers held back, but Naoki came from a family of healers, so was able to use some healing abilities without much reiatsu flow."

"Well, if you want, when you're done eating, we can try that. I don't know how good I'll be at it, but I'll sure give it a try."

"Thank you, Ichigo. It should help to ease the sick feeling I have inside."

Ichigo smiled warmly as the other boy quieted and savored the meal he had been given.

"You look like you're really enjoying that," he observed, "I'm not the best cook in the world, so seeing you eat so eagerly makes me feel pretty good."

"It tastes wonderful, Ichigo," Tetsuya said around a mouthful of teriyaki chicken, "I thought that the vegetables and rice were good, but I have only ever smelled cooked meat. I haven't eaten it before...and it is amazing!"

"Well, you can have seconds if you're still hungry when you finish that. Food's all you can eat here, okay?"

"Oh, you shouldn't tell me that," Tetsuya laughed, "I have never had enough to eat, ever, so I won't know when to stop!"

"Heh, you stop when you feel full. I've got plenty of food."

Tetsuya's eyes softened sadly and he put down his chopsticks for a moment. Ichigo gazed at him curiously.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," Tetsuya assured him, "It is just that I have never been 'full,' and I don't even know what it is to not feel hungry. What I feel now is very warm inside, but I don't know if I am full exactly."

"Well," Ichigo said, "There's _starving_, which is what you were when I found you, there's _hungry,_ which is when you've eaten some, but your stomach still growls and wants more. There's _not hungry_, where your stomach stops growling and you could stop, but you maybe saved a little room for dessert."

"Dessert?" Tetsuya asked blankly.

"Yeah, sweets we eat at the end of a meal."

"S-sweet..."

"Like the tea I just made that has sugar in it."

"Oh," said Tetsuya, "I thought it tasted different...in a very good way, but nothing we were given was sweet before. It usually tasted like nothing or something rotten. And the water wasn't ever clear like this."

"Sounds like you had it really rough," Ichigo said sympathetically, "But I'm gonna take care of you now. I'll make sure you have all of the food you need, fresh water and plenty of sweets too!"

He was taken aback as tears filled Tetsuya's eyes and leaked onto his face again.

"Hey, don't do that, now. You'll ruin your appetite. You need to eat to regain your strength and to nourish your baby."

"I am sorry. But the only person who was ever kind to me the way you are was Naoki...and..."

"And you must really miss him."

Tetsuya nodded.

"He was w-with me when we tried to escape together. We were worried that the baby would be sensed, and there was a guard...Ma...Mak..._Makoto_, who wasn't really one of them. He was a spy for Bya..."

Tetsuya stopped suddenly.

_I shouldn't tell them too much. I do not know who I can trust here. If they know where I came from, then they could send me back there!_

_But Ichigo really seems kind. Orihime-chan too and Urahara-san._

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked, "Did you remember something important?"

"Ichigo, the man in the striped hat...Urahara-san...? Is he Urahara Kisuke?"

"Yeah, you didn't hear me call him Kisuke when we were there?"

Tetsuya smiled helplessly and reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Erm...I was mostly confused, then unconscious. I wasn't aware."

"But you have heard his name before."

"I have," Tetsuya admitted, "In fact, Makoto, who helped Naoki and me in our escape attempt, said that we should go through the senkaimon he gave us a device to open, and we should go to Urahara Kisuke in the living world."

Ichigo's face brightened.

"Well then, that means you got to the right person. We'll have to tell him when we are able to go back."

"Why can't we go back to him now?" Tetsuya asked, frowning.

"Well, the twelfth division monitors the precipice world that you passed through, coming here. Kisuke told me that just before you arrived and I saw you fall out of it, there was a major disturbance...explosions. Did you have something to do with that?"

"Not me," Tetsuya said, lowering his eyes, "It was a horrid man, Orochi-sama."

His eyes darkened and he corrected himself.

"_Orochi._ He was hateful and cruel. He was supposed to be a spy like Makoto, but instead, he hurt and even killed many of us prisoners. He set the fire that engulfed Naoki and caused the explosions. An explosion threw me into the senkaimon, then I hid when Orochi followed me inside and stalked me. He left before the big loud monster came, then I just forced my way through the only exit I could find before that beastly thing reached me. What _was_ that thing, anyway?"

"Oh," Ichigo groaned, rolling his eyes, "That's the cleaner."

"The cleaner?" Tetsuya mused, "You mean, someone put that there?"

"Well," Ichigo said, scratching his head, "no one told me where it actually came from, but I do know that because the precipice world operates on variances in time and space that the shinigamis use the cleaner to cleanse the corridors every seven days. Strangely, whenever I go to Soul Society, the damned thing always seems to choose that day to be in the corridor! Pain in the ass..."

"That thing is terrifying!" Tetsuya said, shaking his head.

"Well, it was probably developed by the twelfth division. They're the scientific squad, after all."

"I understand that the divisions are military designations," Tetsuya sighed, looking confused, "But I never understood who they were. I thought for a while that they were just more like the guards who tormented us."

"I don't think so," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "The Gotei 13, or 13 divisions are protectors of Soul Society, and they guide souls from the living world into Soul Society when they die here. They also fight hollows. Have you seen hollows before?"

"Yes," Tetsuya said, shivering, "Sometimes they attacked the prison. And the guards threatened that if we tried to run away, the hollows would chase and eat us. We were terrified already of the guards. Most would not venture even into the courtyard. I went there to work in the gardens, because it felt good to be touched by the sun, even though the light was painful to my eyes and skin. And one time, I was let out to assist in fixing a broken water line at night, and I saw the moon."

"You've...only seen the moon once?" Ichigo asked soberly, "Tetsuya, that's really sad. But, now that you are here, you can just pull the curtains open, day or night and see the sun and moon whenever you want to."

He reached past Tetsuya and opened the curtain, then watched as Tetsuya took in the sight of the lovely, full moon and his sapphire eyes rounded sweetly.

"Ichigo..." he whispered, "It's so big! And it wasn't round before exactly, but round with pointy ends!"

"That's a crescent moon. This one is a full moon. The part of the moon we see changes throughout the month, so we see more or less of it."

"That's enchanting," whispered Tetsuya, moving closer to Ichigo to get a better look.

Ichigo blinked in surprise as a gentle, familiar scent touched his senses.

_Sweet...like flowers. Reminds me of Byakuya..._

"Say uh, Kisuke told me that only certain male souls in Soul Society can become pregnant. And since you are, that means you are noble and from a bloodline called the Breeders, who helped save the noble clans by bearing children along with the remaining noble women after a conflict with the quincies a long time ago."

"I don't know about any of that," Tetsuya said sadly, "I only know that I was called an abomination because my blood was impure. I have noble blood, but also commoner. That is a horrible sin."

"Oh, I don't know about that," chuckled Ichigo, "After all, Kuchiki Byakuya leads the Kuchiki clan and he was allowed at one time to marry a commoner."

_What?_ Tetsuya thought, freezing, _But Byakuya-sama is just a teen like me! H-he was married? To a commoner? I don't understand! Something is very wrong here..._

"Tetsuya, are you okay? You went kinda pale there for a second. Was it something I said?"

"Eh...um...no, not at all," Tetsuya said, swallowing hard and setting his empty tray aside, "I...I was just finished eating and felt...unsettled."

"You want me to stabilize the baby's reiatsu for you?"

"Could you? I think that would be helpful."

"Okay," said Ichigo, moving around him and sliding in behind him.

Tetsuya shivered slightly, but opened his yukata, baring himself down to his hips, but leaving his private area covered. He flinched as Ichigo's warm hands touched his belly, and he found himself blushing. His heart raced dizzyingly at the human boy's touch and he wasn't sure that he could make himself speak.

"You said to focus here?" Ichigo asked, blushing at the intimate touching, but biting gently at his lips and trying to ignore the awkwardness.

"Yes. You can feel the shape of the reiatsu cluster with your reiatsu and curl yours around it...just gently. That helps it to balance again with mine. I cannot balance it because my reiatsu is affected by the other reiatsu being there, so it seems to forget what 'a normal state' is sometimes. That is why the need for balancing."

Tetsuya felt the soft throb of Ichigo's reiatsu touch his, and sighed instantly in relief.

"That feels much better already!" he exclaimed softly, leaning back against Ichigo and closing his eyes.

Tetsuya blushed more brightly as Ichigo's soft cheek brushed against his and the comforting warmth in his belly increased. And his hands being so close to sensitive places caused a reaction in his slender body that left him blushing even more.

_Oh...I hope he doesn't notice. Or if he notices, that he doesn't say anything. I would tell him that I can't help it, but..._

But whatever Ichigo might have seen or sensed, he kept his face calm and smiling, and his hands rubbed Tetsuya's bare belly gently, warming the shinigami youth to the core. Tetsuya felt an odd sensation that seemed to start in his belly, where Ichigo's hands rested, then swept over the rest of him, leaving him light-headed and wanting very strongly to turn his head just slightly and touch his lips to Ichigo's.

_But this is not Naoki. He hasn't said that he is interested in me. And I barely know him, though I know he is a kind person._

But even if he couldn't kiss the other boy, he certainly could enjoy the feeling of closeness with him that the balancing ritual caused. Tetsuya smiled to himself as, out of the corner of one eye, he registered the Ichigo, too, was blushing and there was a soft tremor in his hands. It made him feel almost bold enough to kiss the other boy. But even as he started to turn his head, the door to Ichigo's room flew open and a young girl burst into the room.

Instantly, Tetsuya broke away and scrambled behind Ichigo, peeking over a shoulder as the brown haired girl skidded to a stop, staring with widened eyes.

"Onii-chan!" she exclaimed, "Who is that?"

"Get outta here, will you?" Ichigo said in an annoyed tone, "You're supposed to knock before barging into my room. What do you want, anyway?"

The change in Ichigo's tone was so sudden that Tetsuya startled and skittered away from him, falling off the edge of the bed and crashing to the floor at the girl's feet. He scrambled onto his hands and knees and backed away from her, staring at her with eyes as wide as hers, but spooked instead of just curious. The girl smiled at him and ignored her brother's stern words completely.

"Are you okay?" she asked, "You didn't hurt yourself, did you? You didn't bump your head when you fell?"

"Um...no," Tetsuya assured her, "I am sorry. I was just surprised by you. Who are you?"

"I'm Yuzu," the little girl announced, "I'm Ichi's little sister."

"You have...a sister?" Tetsuya said, glancing back at Ichigo, then settling onto his knees and carefully retying the tie at his waist, "I am Tetsuya."

"He's a friend of mine," Ichigo said, more calmly, "Now, scram."

"Did Ichi scare you when he yelled at me?" Yuzu asked, "Don't worry, he's always cranky like that when I come into his room. But he doesn't seem to mind that you're here. He even let you in his bed and rubbed your tummy. Do you have a tummy ache?"

Tetsuya smiled warmly.

"Not anymore. Ichigo very kindly helped me and now I feel much better, thank you, Yuzu-chan."

Yuzu giggled sweetly and whispered in his ear.

"I'll be right back and I will bring you some warm fudge cake for dessert!"

"V-very well," he said, watching raptly as she skipped back out the door.

"You don't seem like you've been around too many girls," Ichigo observed, "You reacted pretty strongly to Orihime at first too."

"I only saw one or two girls and very few women in the prison," Tetsuya explained, "And the girls I did see were very frightened and didn't ever smile."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But you can spend all the time you want to with Yuzu and my other sister, Karin, if you like. Just...you shouldn't tell them where you're from. Kisuke said that there might be people from the twelfth division or the stealth force trying to find you."

Fear returned suddenly to Tetsuya's eyes, but when he looked into Ichigo's he felt suddenly calmer.

"Don't worry," Ichigo said, offering him a hand and helping him back into bed, "I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, Tetsuya. No one's going to do anything to you while I'm around!"

"That is a great relief," Tetsuya sighed, leaning against Ichigo and closing his eyes.

Ichigo looked at him with a bit of surprise in his eyes, then smiled gently and wrapped an arm around him, holding him quietly until he fell asleep. He looked up as Yuzu knocked softly and entered more quietly, holding a plate with a large piece of chocolate cake on it.

"Awww," she said, smiling sadly, "He fell asleep before he could eat his cake."

"That's okay. Just leave it there on my desk. And Yuzu."

"Huh?" the girl said, looking back at him with widened eyes.

"Thanks for making him feel more at home. He's been through a rough time. Just keep being nice to him and don't be surprised if he doesn't understand some things. He's not form around here and is having to learn a lot of stuff. So, just kinda help him out."

"I will, Ichi!" Yuzu said, smiling widely.

He watched her scamper out of the room again, then chuckled to himself and settled down beside Tetsuya. He looked out at the large, full moon, remembering Tetsuya's strong reaction and feeling a throb of sadness inside.

_You've had a really hard time, I can tell. But I'll make you a promise, Tetsuya. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you or your baby. _

_I'm going to protect you both!_


	4. Truth Unbound

**Chapter 4: Truth Unbound**

Tetsuya woke for only the second time he could remember, in a warm, soft bed, wearing clean, fresh scented clothing that Ichigo had kindly loaned him. And where usually wakefulness had been brought about by the guards striking the hilts of their swords on the cell bars to tell the prisoners their meager rations had arrived, Tetsuya woke to the sounds of soft breezes that made tree branches brush against the window, and morning birds, whose calls he had only heard on a few rare occasions.

He looked around the still dim room, blinking and wondering where Ichigo had gone.

_He said something about falling asleep in front of a 'TV', whatever that is._

Tetsuya climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the closed bedroom door, then paused as he spotted the large piece of chocolate cake that Yuzu had promised him, along with a note telling him to please enjoy it when he woke. Feeling his stomach growl and his mouth water at the very sight of the cake, he sat down in the wooden chair at the desk and tried the cake.

"Oh!" he gasped, reeling as the intense, almost sensuous flavor struck his senses, "Oh kami, I have never tasted _anything_ so wonderful! Thank you, Yuzu!"

Such urgency overtook him as he ate, that he ended up using his fingers rather than utensils, and was left with sticky fingers that he was forced to lick clean.

_Hardly bothersome_, he mused, his chocolate touched lips smiling, _But it would be good to clean up._

He remembered that Ichigo had shown him where the bathroom was and explained that people normally used a commode, rather than the corners of one's cell or room for eliminating waste. And after the long night's sleep and the piece of cake, he did feel the need to go. He peeked out the bedroom door and, finding the hallway empty, stepped noiselessly to the bathroom. He walked inside, carelessly leaving the door open as he washed his hands, then began to relieve himself.

A muted giggle made him jump, and he hastily covered himself, then washed his hands. He stepped out of the bathroom and found Yuzu, dressed in her nightclothes and standing with her back pressed against the wall, one small hand over her mouth as she giggled helplessly.

Tetsuya blushed.

"I am sorry," he said penitently, "I know I have bad manners. I just..."

"It's okay," Yuzu said in a friendly tone, smiling up at him, "I didn't see anything I shouldn't."

Tetsuya's blush deepened and he bit at his lips nervously.

"Tetsuya-san, Onii-chan told me that you haven't lived in a home like ours before. It's okay if you need help learning things. You can just ask me, okay?"

"Very well," Tetsuya sighed, still looking embarrassed, "I think I will need a lot of help."

"Okay!" Yuzu said happily, "First of all, you need to close and lock the door when you go to the bathroom because you don't want someone walking in on you."

"W-we had no privacy where I was before," Tetsuya explained, "We were always watched by guards and never allowed to be alone anywhere."

"That sounds scary," said Yuzu, reaching out and taking his hand, "But we don't have guards here. And if you want to be alone, just close the door of the room you're in, so that no one just barges in without knocking first."

"I will try to remember that," Tetsuya said, smiling down at her.

"Are you hungry, Tetsuya-san?" Yuzu asked.

"Erm, not so much hungry," Tetsuya explained, "because I ate that big piece of cake you left. And it was wonderful, thank you. But I am feeling a bit thirsty now."

"Then, come with me and we can make some tea. Or you could have water or milk. We even have chocolate milk! And juice. We have orange juice, apple juice and cranberry juice."

"I wouldn't know what to choose," Tetsuya said, shaking his head, "I've only had water and weak tea, but I would like to try all of the things you mentioned."

"Then, I'll make you a little of each!" Yuzu offered enthusiastically, grabbing his hand more tightly and pulling him along, "Come on, Tetsuya-san!"

Tetsuya smiled helplessly as he was dragged along, into the kitchen, where his eyes widened at the sight of the fully stocked cabinets, shelves, pantry and refrigerator.

"Kami, I've never seen so much food in my life!" Tetsuya breathed, "How many people live here, Yuzu?"

Yuzu giggled.

"There's me, Onii-chan, Karin and Papa," she listed, "And now, you, of course. And since we all eat three meals a day, that's a lot of food."

"Goodness, I guess so!" Tetsuya mused, staring.

He watched as the girl removed several containers from the refrigerator. She went next to the cabinet and took out several small glasses, then set them at the table and motioned for Tetsuya to sit. The young man sat down and watched as Ichigo's sister poured a measure of each of the drinks into the glasses, then nodded for him to try them. Neither noticed that a sleepy looking Ichigo stood in the doorway watching them.

Tetsuya tried the milk first, his eyelids fluttering and his lips smiling at the creamy taste.

"That is good," he said, smiling.

"Try the chocolate," Yuzu said, handing him a second glass.

"Mmmmm," sighed Tetsuya, "Oh, I think I like that one even better! It's creamy also, but sweet too."

"The juices are sweet or tart or kind of both. The apple juice is the sweetest. The orange juice is a little tart and sweet too, and the cranberry juice is pretty tart."

Tetsuya tried a bit of each.

"I think I like the orange juice best of those," Tetsuya commented, "It is sort of between sweet and tart."

He looked at the row of drinks and sighed softly.

"It looks like we've run out of things to try."

"I would let you try Papa's wine," Yuzu giggled, "But we're not old enough. How old are you, Tetsuya-san?"

"Eh..." Tetsuya said, frowning, "I am...not sure. My mother said that I was born at the beginning of summer, just after the summer solstice, but she didn't say what year, so I'm not sure."

"Hey," Ichigo said, making his voice gentle, so as not to startle Tetsuya, "It's not polite to ask a person's age, Yuzu. He looks about my age, so he probably is."

He sat down at the table, looking at the row of empty glasses.

"You look like you've been busy," he commented, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yuzu has kindly been introducing me to an array of drinks," Tetsuya explained.

He felt an uncomfortable rumble in his lower abdomen and bit his lip gently.

"And it seems that I have become too full for my own good. Please excuse me."

He rose from the table and hurried away, leaving Yuzu and Ichigo looking after him.

"I think he has to go to the bathroom," Yuzu whispered.

Then, she giggled.

"I had to tell him that we close the door when we go," she informed her brother.

"Yuzu," Ichigo said gratefully, "Thanks for helping him. I know he's a little unsure of himself, but..."

"It's okay!" Yuzu said brightly, "He is smart. He learns fast. And he's really nice, Onii-chan! I wish he could always stay with us."

"Well, Tetsuya will have to leave eventually," Ichigo said in a frank tone, "Still I know he appreciates how you're helping him. But, go on now. It's time for Karin to walk you to school."

"Did I hear someone talking about me?" Karin asked, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a quick glass of orange juice to gulp down.

"I was just telling Yuzu it's time to go."

"You going to school today?" Karin asked, lifting a skeptical eyebrow.

"Yeah, later," sighed Ichigo, "I have to get Tetsuya settled in."

"Huh," Karin said, setting her glass down on the table, "Well, you might want to have him see a doctor. I heard him throwing up in the bathroom."

"What?" Ichigo asked, frowning.

"Oh, poor Tetsuya-san!" Yuzu said sympathetically, "Maybe I should stay home too."

"No," said Ichigo, "Take off, you two. I'll take care of Tetsuya."

He waited until Karin had hurried Yuzu out the door, then ran up the steps and to the bathroom door.

"Tetsuya?" he called softly, tapping on the door.

"Come in," Tetsuya answered, still sounding ill.

Ichigo opened the door and found the shinigami sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up and his head resting in his arms on top of his knees.

"Hey, you all right?" Ichigo asked kindly, "You look like you feel pretty bad. I can call Orihime, or I can do that stabilization thing you showed me."

"I think the stabilization would be most helpful," said Tetsuya, accepting Ichigo's help in climbing to his feet, then following him back into Ichigo's bedroom.

"I am sorry to be such a bother," Tetsuya apologized.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo said, smiling, "You're no bother. You're just trying to understand things. I thought it was kind of cute, you and Yuzu trying all those drinks in the kitchen."

His smile faded slightly as he helped Tetsuya back into bed, then slid in behind him and wrapped his arms around the younger shinigami's body.

"I just also think it's really sad that you had it so rough...that you've never even tasted good food or drink...that you've been hurt when anyone can see what a gentle person you are."

Tetsuya swallowed hard, tears threatening at how good it felt to be held by Ichigo and to hear him say such kind things. Ichigo's hand rubbed his bare belly gently, and his warm breath tickled Tetsuya's shoulder and made him blush. He felt the soft, lovely ache of rising arousal and again longed to just turn his head and to touch his lips to Ichigo's.

_I wonder if he knows how this makes me feel._

Tetsuya closed his eyes and sank more deeply into Ichigo's embrace, then inhaled softly in surprise as he felt the warm, hard evidence of an equally intense reaction in his human benefactor. He bit at his lip and shifted slightly to avoid causing more stimulation, and heard Ichigo's quick, soft intake of breath in reaction. He was careful not to say anything...not to move or speak or do anything that might shatter the long, lovely moment that passed between them.

_Before Naoki and I fell in love, there were moments like this. More than a few._

"Tetsuya?"

He suddenly realized that a tear had escaped onto his face and swiftly brushed it away.

"Are you all right?" Ichigo asked, his hand still caressing Tetsuya's slightly rounded belly, "It must be tough, having lost the person you love so recently."

"Yes," Tetsuya confessed, "I just think that I have begun to feel okay again, and something comes back. And some of it is that I am sad that Naoki is gone. Some of it is regret that he will never see the beautiful little child we made together. And some of it is just feeling like it is now something I am alone in feeling."

"Hey, you aren't alone in that," Ichigo corrected him, capturing him beneath the chin and turning his head to the side to look over his shoulder, "I can't wait to see what your baby looks like. What did your Naoki look like?"

"He stood a bit taller than me and had hair the color of new straw and eyes that were kind of golden brown, like yours. They were friendly and calm like yours, too. He was beautiful, my Naoki."

He blushed, realizing the portent of his words.

Then he realized that Ichigo was blushing too, and he had to look away.

"Tetsuya."

He couldn't make himself look back.

"Hmmm?"

"I understand how you feel. It's hard, losing someone. I lost my mom when I was a little kid."

"You did?" Tetsuya asked, looking surprised, then remembering Yuzu's words.

"_There's me, Onii-chan, Karin and Papa._"

"Oh...oh, Ichigo, I am sorry! I remember losing my mother too. That must have been very difficult for you."

"Yeah," Ichigo confirmed, "It was. You know, you and I have both lost people close to us. We understand each other's feelings. I know you must get lonely sometimes."

"Yes."

"Well, you won't be so lonely here," the ginger-haired youth promised, "I have some very good friends."

"You mean, like Orihime-chan and Urahara-san?" Tetsuya asked.

"Uh-huh," Ichigo said, nodding, "And they're becoming friends of yours too."

He frowned at the flash of unhappiness that clouded Tetsuya's lovely face.

"What's wrong?"

"Well," Tetsuya said softly, "As much as Urahara-san and you and your friends are helping me, I eventually have to go back to Soul Society, Ichigo. I am afraid of what will happen when I get there. I do not know anyone. And even the people who might be family to me will dislike me for my peasant blood."

"Well, then if you don't like Soul Society, we'll just have to find a way you and your baby can stay in Karakura Town. I am sure that Kisuke can help you with a gigai and a job of some kind so that you can earn money to live on."

"Oh...I don't know..." Tetsuya said uncertainly.

"Don't you want to stay here?" Ichigo asked, "You just said that people would look down on you and you would be unhappy in Soul Society. You're not unhappy here, so maybe you should think about staying here permanently...just think about it."

"Erm...I uh..."

Tetsuya paused at the sound of a knock on the door downstairs.

"Oh," Ichigo mused, chuckling, "That's Byakuya."

"B-byakuya?"

"Yeah, the leader of the Kuchiki clan. I sensed it was someone powerful and Byakuya's the only one who ever knocks at the door when he comes here. The others just come in my window. Hang on."

Tetsuya slipped into the hallway and watched from behind a coat rack as Ichigo opened the door and a tall, handsome, raven-haired man entered the house.

_This is Byakuya? But...the heir was just a few years older than me! He should be a boy, not an adult. I know it!_

_What is going on here?_

_Is that really him?_

"Ichigo," Byakuya greeted the shinigami substitute, "I apologize for bothering you, but..."

"Eh, it's no bother. It's okay, Byakuya. What can I do for you?"

"Well, it is about something that Renji and I found in the Kuchiki archive. You see..."

Byakuya broke off as a flash step sounded and a young woman wearing a white coat similar to Byakuya's and a yellow sash scowled at Ichigo.

"Oi, Captain Soi Fon, what are you doing here?" the shinigami substitute asked, frowning.

"I am here at the request of Captain Kurotsuchi. I am to inform you that an odd reiatsu appeared in the Dangai precipice yesterday, and it appears that whoever it is escaped into the living world. Captain Kurotsuchi reports the being is responsible for several explosions within the corridor and he has ordered us to capture and return the one bearing that reiatsu to Soul Society.

_But, Orochi was the one who caused the explosions, not me! They don't understand! But now I am a fugitive? I mean...I expected to be pursued, I suppose, but they haven't mentioned the prison at all!_

_I don't understand what is happening!_

"You are to report to us at once if you find the one bearing this reiatsu," Soi Fon said brusquely.

"Right, whatever," Ichigo sighed, shaking his head as the second division taicho flash stepped away, "Man, what a pain..."

He remembered, then, the noble, who still stood waiting to speak to him.

"Sorry, Byakuya," he went on, "What were you saying?"

"Renji and I were asked to research the reiatsu of the one who passed through the precipice world," Byakuya explained, "But when we compared the reiatsu to samples from our records, there was none that matched exactly. What we did find was that the reiatsu looked to be from a subfamily that was believed to have died out some time ago."

"What?" Ichigo said, looking mystified.

"The person who passed through the precipice world is a member of the Kuchiki family," Byakuya said quietly, "But, the subfamily the person is from died out years ago. There was, back then, a secret prison, which I discovered was illegally holding mixed blood nobles. One of the ones purported to have been incarcerated there was a cousin who was close to my father. His name was Takao. Takao disappeared while I was a teen, and my father searched desperately, trying to find him. He wasn't able to do so before his death, so I carried on, and some years later discovered the existence of the prison called Itamigiri...though some called it Fuketsu no Goten, Palace of the Impure. I sent agents to infiltrate the prison, and we planned to liberate those within. But, we were betrayed. Someone, we do not know who, discovered that the raid was coming, and by the time we arrived, the prisoners had been slaughtered and all records had disappeared."

"Damn..." Ichigo mused.

"There was said to be among the prisoners, a child of Takao and Kiko, but he was never found. He disappeared without a trace."

"This happened a long time ago, you say?"

"Yes. I was a teen, at the time."

Tetsuya's mind spun at the words.

_He is talking about this as though it happened a long time ago, but I just escaped yesterday! What is happening?_

"Ichigo, if the person who passed through the precipice world is from Takao's family, I want very much for us to be reunited. However, there is something you should know. We still do not know who it was who betrayed us. And...the elders of our clan have never accepted that the prison was operating illegally or that the prisoners were held without cause. They said there was no evidence. But, this person may hold the key to proving what happened and who was involved. If so, he will be in great danger. There are those within the family who will want the truth never to come out. I went to Urahara Kisuke first, and he confessed to me privately that he found someone who may be the one I am searching for. He placed this person in your care, entrusting his safety to you. I need to know. Is he here?"

Ichigo paused breathlessly as Byakuya's breath caught and he stared up at Tetsuya, who had appeared at the top of the stairs. The two stared at each other wordlessly for a long moment, their eyes widening.

"This cannot be!" Byakuya whispered, "Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya stared back at him through frightened, disbelieving eyes, his heart pounding wildly.

"Byakuya-sama?" he whispered, his face going white and his knees weakening.

The next thing he knew, everything seemed to go black around him and Tetsuya began to fall.


	5. Lost Bonds

**Chapter 5: Lost Bonds**

Byakuya flash stepped forward and up the stairs, catching Tetsuya as he started to pitch forward. For a moment, Tetsuya's shocked eyes met Byakuya's, radiating fear and disbelief, then his eyelids fluttered and closed. Byakuya touched down at the top of the stairs and laid his senseless cousin gently on the floor.

"Tetsuya!" he exclaimed, dropping to his knees and quickly examining the unconscious youth.

Ichigo ran up the stairs and knelt across from Byakuya, lowering his hands to rest on Tetsuya's abdomen, drawing a curious look from the Kuchiki clan leader.

"What is that you are doing?" he asked quickly.

"Oh," said Ichigo, "Tetsuya is pregnant. I was just stabilizing the reiatsu balance between the baby and him."

"Tetsuya is pregnant?" Byakuya repeated, looking surprised.

"Yeah," Ichigo confirmed, "Kisuke told me about the male Breeders who once served the noble families. He said that it seemed like Tetsuya must have been related somehow to one of them that escaped the attempts to wipe them out."

"And the baby is...?"

"The baby was fathered by a boy named Naoki."

"Naoki," Byakuya mused, "Naoki was the name of his cellmate. I do not know much about him, except that he seemed protective of my cousin. But Ichigo, what is happening here does not make sense."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that Tetsuya...my cousin...was only a little younger than me when the ones inside Itamigiri discovered our plans to storm the prison and killed the prisoners. We never knew if he was killed with the other prisoners or if he survived. But one thing is certain. Tetsuya, if he lived, would be much older than this boy. Still, according to his reiatsu, he must be Takao's son. We have records of Takao's reiatsu and Tetsuya's is ninety-nine percent likely to be his son!"

"Whoa, hold on, okay? Maybe we should start at the beginning," Ichigo suggested, "But let's put Tetsuya to bed first. He seems to have just passed out, but we should make him comfortable."

"I agree," Byakuya said, lifting his cousin's limp form.

He carried Tetsuya into the bedroom and laid him in the bed, then watched quietly as Ichigo continued the calm stabilization. Tetsuya's chest rose and fell in a soft, steady rhythm, and neither of the two noticed when he started to wake, but continued to feign unconsciousness.

"Tetsuya told me a story that sounds like the other side of yours," Ichigo said, once they were settled in his room, "He told me he was in a prison, and about spies that were there, preparing for a raid. But he said only that Naoki was killed, not anything about the rest of the prisoners being killed. So, he must have escaped before that."

"I think so. But how he ended up here and in this state is curious."

"Yeah, he just fell out of an opening senkaimon. It did look a little weird, not lit up like normal. Maybe something was wrong with it. I don't know. Anyway, the stuff you said about that prison seems to fit with his story. But he never said much about his parents."

"Takao was my father's first cousin," Byakuya explained, "He and my father, Soujun, grew up together at Kuchiki Manor, and were very close. But, when they were young men, Takao fell in love with a woman from the mid-Rukongai...Kiko. At the time, it wasn't just a sin for a person of noble heritage to marry a commoner, it was a crime. And it was punished harshly. Takao knew that they could not marry before the family, so he left the manor and went to live as a commoner, himself. But the family would not leave it at that. Once they knew what he had done, some of those who were angered by his behavior traveled to the Rukongai and found where the two were living. They were already married and Kiko was with child. The two were abducted and never seen again, though my father searched endlessly for them until his death. To honor his wishes, I continued the search and eventually discovered the existence of a secret, illegal prison named Itamigiri by the ones who ran it, but also known more commonly as Fuketsu no Goten, Palace of the Impure. I was able to send a few select spies into the prison and learned that Takao had been executed and Kiko had died of illness, but that their son was alive and was cellmates with a boy named Naoki, who seemed close to him. I told my spies to watch over him and made plans to invade the prison. But, just before the raid was to take place, something happened."

"The prisoners were killed?" Ichigo asked, "Isn't that what you said before?"

"Well, first, I received reports that there was a large fire and there were explosions at the prison. I tried to confirm what had happened, but could not reach my spies. Two of the three I sent, never returned and are assumed dead. And the one that came back told a horrifying story of how the prison director discovered that the raid was coming and ordered the destruction of the prison and the deaths of all prisoners. We rushed to the site, but by the time we arrived, little was left but rubble. And we were not able to recover any records. I have worn the shame of that for many years. And I never knew the fate of my cousin."

"You said one spy came back," Ichigo said, looking down at Tetsuya's sleeping face, "Tetsuya mentioned two spies that he knew of, Makoto and Orochi."

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Those _were_ two of them!" he exclaimed softly, "It was Orochi who returned with the story of the destruction of the prison."

Tetsuya refrained from stiffening under Ichigo's hands, but his heart began to race wildly.

"Orochi, huh..." Ichigo mused, "That's not good."

"Why?"

"Because Orochi is the guy that Tetsuya said was horrible to the prisoners. He hurt your cousin, and Tetsuya saw him set the fire that caused the explosions and killed his Naoki."

"What? He told you this?" Byakuya hissed softly.

Tetsuya held his breath inwardly and waited in terror for the clan leader's response.

Byakuya let out a long, shuddering sigh and lowered his eyes.

"I had suspected," he said softly, "But I had no proof. And even now, I have no proof."

"What about Tetsuya? He knows what happened with Orochi. Byakuya, he was there!"

"I know that," Byakuya said, touching Tetsuya's face gently and catching his breath as the younger Kuchiki's eyes flickered open and met his, "But, you see that Tetsuya is not in the state he should be. He has somehow passed over that period of time between his escape and now, and emerged here."

"But you said that he is Takao's son. You can prove that!"

"He is undoubtedly Takao's son," Byakuya agreed, "But others will look at him and wonder how that could be so. It will lead many to doubt him. In addition to that, there is great hatred that persists for mixed blood nobles, among some of the subfamilies. And finally, there is Orochi. He comes from a powerful subfamily. If he was abusing the prisoners as Tetsuya says, and if he killed Naoki, then Tetsuya will be in great danger."

"I just wonder how he got here like this..." Ichigo said, shaking his head and smiling briefly at the younger man in his arms, "He just appeared out of nowhere."

"I have a theory about that," Byakuya posited, "You see, the precipice world is a corridor that manipulates time and space. It does this to ensure proper and safe passage of our people between worlds. But...there were explosions reported in the area where Tetsuya was sensed. Explosions can disrupt the flow of time within the corridor and can cause odd occurrences."

"Like time anomalies?" Ichigo queried.

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, "But although I want very much to know how this might have happened, I cannot go through the normal channels to explore it. The twelfth division reported the disturbance to Sotaicho and he ordered that the perpetrator be captured and turned over to the stealth force for questioning. I would claim him immediately as a member of my family, offering him protection from that, however, considering the lingering mistrust of both mixed blood nobles and Breeders, some would be inclined to do harm to him, most especially Orochi. I cannot let that happen!"

"That's horrible," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "I can't believe they'd do this to a member of their own family!"

Byakuya shook his head in agreement.

"It amazes me how deeply this hatred runs."

He met Tetsuya's calmer eyes and touched his face again lightly, earning a grateful smile from his cousin.

"I am sorry, Tetsuya," he said solemnly, "Had I not chosen Orochi to assist. But, I was not yet leader, and his father, Isas, had a lot of power with the elders at the time. Still..."

"It's all right, watashi no itoko," Tetsuya assured him, "Naoki and I were blessed to have been given some kind of hope to help us stay alive. The guards tried very hard to break our spirits, but we held your name in our hearts as a promise that we would not lose our lives in vain."

"But most of you did," Byakuya whispered, a hint of tears forming in his eyes, "Tetsuya, I walked through the destroyed prison, and I felt as though my heart died with the ones they killed there. And I felt worst about you. It was so important to my father that Takao's legacy should be preserved."

"I am still alive," Tetsuya said, "and even though my Naoki perished, his child grows inside me now. And I have Ichigo-san's help to keep us safe."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, meeting the shinigami substitute's eyes for a moment, "Ichigo is a very capable protector. But...I want so much for you to return home."

"But now's not really the time for that," Ichigo said, frowning, "You said, yourself, that you can't keep him safe there. I have already made a place for him here. I can watch over your cousin while you figure out what to do about Orochi and the Kuchiki elders."

"Thank you, Ichigo," Byakuya said, nodding, "I am grateful to you for doing this. I will, then, ask you to look after Tetsuya, and to protect his child and him. You will have to be wary of the stealth force, the Kuchiki elders and Orochi. But, you seem to have established a safe enough place for him here. The only one who will recognize him is Orochi, and he has no reason to come here. If he ever does, you must take Tetsuya and get him out of here immediately."

"I will," Ichigo promised.

Byakuya slipped his hands into Tetsuya's and studied the youth's relieved expression.

"I waited so long to look into your eyes and see some part of the one my father knew, growing up. I am sorry that we were robbed of sharing our younger years together, Tetsuya. I would have loved to have had you at my side. My life would have been the richer for your being there."

"I think mine would have been too," answered Tetsuya, blinking back tears, "But...I cannot regret that I have fallen into such caring hands. Ichigo has been such a comfort to me."

Byakuya's eyes fastened on the shinigami substitute.

"Again, I thank you, Kurosaki Ichigo, both for saving my cousin and for protecting him. I know I will not have to worry for him while you watch over him."

"I won't let anything happen to him," Ichigo promised.

"I have to leave you now, Tetsuya," Byakuya said softly, "But even as I do, I will give you something to keep close to you...as a promise that we will be together again."

He reached into his shihakusho and removed a small gold pendant on a chain. Tetsuya accepted the lovely charm and turned it over, gazing at it raptly.

"My father and Takao picked the first new sakura blossoms of their eighteenth year. They had them dipped in gold and wore them always, to remind each other of their close brotherhood. You and I did not have that closeness in our youth. But these charms we wear are a promise that we will mend that. And our children, too, will know each other."

Tetsuya tilted his head slightly in askance, and Byakuya met him with a tenuous smile.

"Last night, I was with the one I love for the first time," the clan leader went on, "And afterwards, we realized..."

Tetsuya's eyes rounded.

"Byakuya-sama, you too...? You?"

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, bringing Tetsuya's hand to rest on his abdomen, "I too am distantly related to one of the Breeders. Tetsuya, our father's fathers confessed this to them, and Takao and Soujun kept that secret all of their lives. Because of that, you and I were able to be born Breeders as well. And now both of us carry on that tradition of protecting the legacies of our forefathers by bearing our own heirs!"

"But Byakuya-sama!" Tetsuya objected, "You cannot go back there alone like that! As soon as they sense your baby, you will be in danger!"

"Do not worry," Byakuya assured him, "First, it will be awhile before the child can be sensed and Urahara Kisuke also shielded the chamber so that I will have longer before it becomes evident. And also, I have my own protector, my lover and a friend of Ichigo's, who is also a good friend of mine, and an officer sworn to protect me...Abarai Renji."

"Renji is the father of your baby?" Ichigo mused, chuckling, "Now, that's something I wouldn't have expected!"

Byakuya glared at him disapprovingly for a moment, then looked back at Tetsuya.

"Remain here, under Ichigo's protection, Tetsuya. I promise you, I will find the way to make it safe for you to come home. In return, I want your promise that you will not leave here until the way is made safe for you. I will go to the elders and inform them of your existence. I will pave the way for you to be confirmed as Takao's son, and for you to stand witness to what happened in the prison. It will be difficult, given the unusual circumstances of your escape and appearance here, but trust me to find the way."

"I trust you, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, tightening his hands on his cousin's.

"I am surprised that you can, given the fact I have already once failed you, resulting in the deaths of the father of your child and all of the remaining prisoners."

"Please, Byakuya-sama, do not blame yourself!" Tetsuya insisted, "Truly, you did the best you could, under the circumstances. You cannot blame yourself for our cousin's treachery. Believe me, I understand better than most Orochi's cruel nature. I am sure he was determined to sabotage your efforts from the beginning. It was the elders who placed him on the advance team, not you."

"But now, it falls to me to find a way to prove that he sabotaged the rescue effort. I need to know if you saw or heard anything that ties him to the betrayal of our plans."

Tetsuya bent his head in thought, biting at his lips and trying to come up with anything that might offer his cousin some hope.

"I did hear him and see him as he betrayed and killed Makoto, who had tried to save Naoki and me," he said finally, "He said...that there were those who did not agree with you and that the prisoners were all going to be dead. Then he said that you, Byakuya-sama...he said that you would die!"

"There was an attempt on my life that night," Byakuya confirmed, "A trap set that killed my bodyguards and left me fighting for my life, taking away precious minutes and allowing the slaughter of the prisoners."

"He did not openly confess..."

"But he indicated advanced knowledge of the plan to attack me and to murder the prisoners before they could be rescued," Byakuya said firmly, "It isn't perfect evidence, but an argument can definitely be made that he was involved, either directly or as an accessory. He knew what was going to happen, and as part of the advance team, it was his job to pass that information on to me."

"But he took great pleasure in not doing so," Tetsuya concluded, tears leaking onto his face, "and in watching your plans fall apart. Truly, he is a monster. He always was...from the first day he came to the prison. The day I came of age. The day he first raped me. Naoki and me."

"I am so sorry, Tetsuya," Byakuya said softly, raising a hand to caress his cousin's tearstained face, "I wish I could have kept him from touching you at all. But...as much as I have failed you, I will not fail you now. I have placed you in the care of a much better protector than me. And I hope someday to be worthy of your forgiveness, for what you and your Naoki endured because of that man."

"Byakuya-sama...don't say such things!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Byakuya," Ichigo said firmly, "The decision to entrust the fate of the prisoners in part to Orochi wasn't yours. It was the elders of your clan who made that decision. They failed the prisoners of Itamigiri!"

"He is right," Tetsuya said, brushing the tears away from his face, "There is nothing you could have done."

"But there is something I can do now."

He raised his eyes to meet Ichigo's.

"I have perfect faith that you will not let harm come to my cousin. As much as we were once enemies, Kurosaki Ichigo, your service to Soul Society and to my family has proven your determination to protect always the ones closest to you. I see that you already care for Tetsuya and his child. I am glad that is true. I think it improves greatly Tetsuya's chances of surviving whatever the opposing clan members might try."

"I won't let anyone hurt Tetsuya," Ichigo swore, "I give you my word!"

"Very well," Byakuya said, squeezing his cousin's hand one more time, then releasing them, "I must return to the Seireitei. Urahara Kisuke has asked me to relay to you that Tetsuya should be trained in the use of his zanpakuto, and in the connection with the stallion who appeared while he was at Urahara's shop. He will need to be appreciably skilled if he is going to survive."

He handed Ichigo a slip of paper.

"You are to go to this location when you wish to train. It is a second secret training area, where you will have privacy and a safe, shielded place to train."

Ichigo nodded.

"I'll make sure that he is trained," promised Ichigo, "Although I can't really teach him kido since I've never learned that, myself."

"Someone will come to assist you with that part of his training."

Byakuya rose and met his cousin's eyes a final time.

"Be cautious, Tetsuya," he warned the youth, "Be safe."

"You as well, Byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, feeling tears rise again in his eyes as his cousin flash stepped away.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked, "That's got to have been hard for you."

"I am all right," Tetsuya assured him, "I am just...sad, and angry inside that Orochi could be so evil!"

"It's going to be okay," Ichigo said, slipping an arm around Tetsuya and looking into his eyes, "You're going to be fine and Byakuya will help you find a way to make that guy pay for what he did to you, and everyone else."

"Do you really think so?" Tetsuya asked, sniffing softly and reaching down to caress the bump on his abdomen.

"Yeah," Ichigo said resolutely, "I know Byakuya. He's real determined. It'll be okay."

He pulled the other youth close, rubbing his back and running his fingers lightly through the wavy lengths of raven black hair. Tetsuya turned his head slightly and let his cheek brush against Ichigo's fingers. And before he quite realized what was happening, he was kissing those gentle fingertips.

And both went breathless as their lips suddenly met.


	6. Opening Flower

**Chapter 6: Opening Flower**

Ichigo felt the soft and yet deep impact of Tetsuya's lips caressing his, and fell into the twin pools of lovely sapphire that peeked shyly back at him. At first, just their lips touched, rubbing lightly, then pressing together more firmly. They parted for a moment, and a sweet flare of Tetsuya's sakura scent drifted over the entranced shinigami substitute's senses, scattering them easily. He reeled as their lips locked together again, then Tetsuya's parted, and while Ichigo was momentarily frozen with indecision, Tetsuya's warm, sweet tongue slipped into his mouth and curved provocatively around his, then teased him into slowly entering, then probing the delicious depths of Tetsuya's amorous orifice.

His eyes would have drifted shut, but he couldn't break them away from the lovely, affectionate ones that looked back at him, making both young men blush as they relaxed, pressing closer against each other and engaging in a longer, more passionate exchange. Ichigo's heart throbbed painfully in his chest, and his breaths felt constricted. A little voice of warning made him pull back for a moment, and he saw curiosity rise in the other youth's eyes.

"Ichigo?" Tetsuya queried softly, "I am sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

"Uh," Ichigo managed, blinking several times and trying to untie his knotted tongue, "Um...no, you didn't do anything wrong. It's only that, well, I don't think this is what Byakuya had in mind when he asked me to protect you. I mean, you're his cousin, right? You're a noble. It's probably against some kind of rule for us to...do this."

"But...I have never really been considered one of them, Ichigo," Tetsuya said, frowning, "I don't even know what all of their rules are. I don't know much of anything. I've spent all of my life so far locked up in a small cell with only one other person. You know I don't know anything. And anyway, why should I follow their rules when they've only ever used them to hurt me? I'm not one of them, Ichigo. I don't think I ever really will be. I don't even know if I want to be."

Ichigo smiled.

"Well, you sure are beautiful enough to be one of them."

Tetsuya gave him a look that reflected a warring of feelings.

"They said that I look like my father, except for having my mother's eyes. She told me once that looking at me was a comfort, so I imagine I cannot hate the people who are my father's relations. And not all of them are like the ones who held me prisoner. There are also those like Byakuya-sama, who respect who we are to the clans. It's just...really confusing."

"I'm sure it is," Ichigo agreed, taking the noble's slender hands in his, "And maybe that's another reason why we should be careful about getting too involved. You're coming to terms with a lot. You don't know how long you'll be here or when you'll go back to Soul Society with Byakuya. Maybe, making strong ties with me isn't the best idea. I'm a human, you know."

"I don't care about that, Ichigo," Tetsuya said firmly, "I am a noble and a peasant both and you do not hold that against me. Why would I hold it against you that you are a human?"

"I didn't mean that you would hold it against me exactly, but that there are rules about the interaction of humans and pure souls. And those laws are not enforced just by your clan, but by Central 46."

Tetsuya nodded.

"I am aware of Central 46, and that its councilors are mostly powerful elders from the clans. And with so much prejudice amongst them, one like me cannot hold out much hope for fair treatment or leniency. They are known for being harsh with those who break their rules, and they do not care about justice, so much as their own agendas. Naoki said once that it didn't matter if they knew about or learned of Itamigiri. They wouldn't have done anything to the ones who hurt us, because so many among their leaders held similar views to our tormentors."

"That's horrible," Ichigo sighed, raising a palm to curve around Tetsuya's soft cheek, "But you don't have to be afraid. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore. I'm going to take care of you...not just because Byakuya asked me to, but because you're my friend now, and I care about what happens to you."

He inhaled in surprise as Tetsuya's blue eyes filled with tears and he trembled softly.

"Tetsuya, are you...okay?"

Tetsuya froze as Ichigo's fingertip brushed away a falling teardrop, then he shuddered and rested his head on the shinigami substitute's shoulder.

"I am all right," Tetsuya answered hesitantly, "I am just not used to being treated with such kindness, except by Naoki. And when I think of his kindness, how much he loved and cared for me, I feel so sad he's gone."

Ichigo's strong arms embraced him firmly and neither young man said anything for a time. Slowly, Tetsuya calmed again, and he opened his eyes and looked outside where large droplets of water had begun to fall from the sky. His eyes widened and he pulled away from Ichigo, moving to the window and staring in fascination.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked softly, "Is it...that you've never seen rain before?"

Tetsuya shivered, not from cold, but from anticipation as he moved closer to the window and Ichigo slid it open.

"We were not allowed out in the rain," Tetsuya explained in a hushed tone as he moved forward and extended a wary hand, "but...sometimes when the guards had been outside, we could see and smell the fresh droplets on their clothes and skin. I never...!"

He paused, wide-eyed as the drops began to strike his extended hand and a delightful coolness flooded his body. A slow, beautiful smile lit his youthful face, entrancing Ichigo as they stepped outside and dropped down to the ground.

"You sure you don't want me to get an umbrella?" Ichigo asked, watching as Tetsuya's head tilted back and the rain came down harder, splashing onto his bare skin and gradually soaking his borrowed yukata, "You're not too cold, are you?"

"Cold has never troubled me so much," Tetsuya confessed, "My ability is water based and water can be cold, warm or hot. I may not feel comfortable if I get too cold, but the cold alone won't hurt me."

"All right," Ichigo chuckled, admiring the way the raindrops glistened in the other young man's hair and how they the rain ran in streams down Tetsuya's lovely porcelain flesh.

He moved closer, marveling at the flutters that teased his insides and the beautiful warmth that invaded him, just watching Tetsuya. But soon, watching didn't seem like enough. He reached out and heard Tetsuya make a soft exclamation of surprise as he was gathered in and Ichigo's rain touched lips found his again. The two kissed lingeringly, feeding gently on the raindrops on each others' lips and throats and nuzzling each other affectionately. They remained that way until both were soaked to the skin, flushed all over and tantalizingly aroused. Finally, Ichigo pulled free of Tetsuya and smiled at him.

"I think we should probably go back inside. We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, right? And we could probably use a shower."

"A shower?" Tetsuya inquired, brightening, "The guards mentioned showering, but we were only ever allowed to rinse ourselves with bowls of cold, dirty water from the river."

"Well, now you can have a hot shower, if you like," Ichigo offered, "Come on."

He led Tetsuya back into the house, where the two climbed the stairs and walked into the upstairs bathroom. Tetsuya exchanged glances with Ichigo and shut and locked the door as the shinigami substitute moved to the bathtub and reached inside. Tetsuya returned to his side and watched raptly as Ichigo pulled on and turned a knob inside the tub, then startled and jumped back in surprise and fear as the house pipes groaned and water exploded out of a device up on the wall.

Ichigo chuckled softly.

"It's okay. It does that sometimes. We have to give it a second before it warms up, but then you can climb in. Go ahead."

Tetsuya gazed at the spraying water, then looked back at Ichigo.

"W-will you shower with me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Sure," Ichigo agreed, slipping out of his wet clothes, then stepping over the edge of the tub and positioning himself under the falling water, "It's something like rain, but harder. It feels good."

Tetsuya inched forward, listening to the hiss of the water and watching as steam rose lazily around Ichigo's naked body. He undressed, then accepted Ichigo's extended hand and stepped over the edge of the tub, taking up a position, facing the shinigami substitute.

"Come in under the water," Ichigo invited him, pulling him close.

A soft, pleased sigh escaped Tetsuya as the hot water poured down onto his body and he found himself pressed up against Ichigo. Ichigo looked down into his eyes and started kissing him again. The two enjoyed several minutes of that pleasant exchange until Tetsuya's loins began to ache more insistently. He glanced down at Ichigo's exposed member and felt a blush roar across his face.

"It's okay," Ichigo chuckled, nuzzling his cheek, "It just means we desire each other."

"I know what it means," Tetsuya said more quietly, "You look at me already with eyes that remind me of Naoki's. We are very attracted to each other, Ichigo. But maybe we should not make love."

"Whoa!" Ichigo said, startling Tetsuya again as he reeled for a moment, then gathered himself, "S-sorry, it's just that I've never...actually...done _that_ before. Not that I don't like you or don't feel aroused by you. I think you know I do. I just haven't found anyone that made me feel like going all of the way yet. I don't know if I am ready for that. It doesn't mean..."

"It's all right, Ichigo," Tetsuya said, smiling shyly, "I'm sorry if I made you feel embarrassed. It's just that sex was something that we used for other things. The guards used us that way for their pleasure. And sometimes we exchanged sex for more freedoms or to convince the guards to treat our cellmate for injury or illness. I suppose that seems strange to you, but our bodies were all we had that was useful as barter. But...even though that was true, Naoki and I knew when we touched each other that we did so only for love. It took time for us to feel ready to love each other. Naoki just first took my virginity so that my first experience would be a gentle one. I was very grateful to him for that. It was after that we actually fell in love."

"Yeah. I don't think I'm ready for that, but I do want to touch you some more, if that's okay."

Tetsuya's flush deepened and he nodded and moved closer to Ichigo again, watching curiously as the shinigami substitute's fingers slid along his skin, following the gentle lines and curves, making him relax and sink further into Ichigo's embrace. Ichigo's hands slid slowly down his back and wrapped around his soft bottom, encouraging him to rub against him.

Ichigo picked up a large piece of white soap, then hesitated at the way Tetsuya was looking at it.

"It's soap. You rub it all over your skin and then rinse it off."

Tetsuya reached out and touched the wet bar, then leaned forward and breathed in it's slightly sweet scent. He started to bring his soapy fingers to his lips, but Ichigo stopped him.

"It doesn't taste good. It's just for washing," he explained patiently.

"We never washed with anything but water," Tetsuya informed him.

"Well, you'll like this then. Stand with your back to me."

Tetsuya's heart skipped madly in his chest as Ichigo's hands lathered the fine smelling soap onto his dampened body. Those gentle, persistent hands seemed to touch him everywhere...everywhere except the part of him that throbbed and wanted so badly to be touched and caressed that way. Sensing his rising discomfort, Ichigo smiled a little bit shyly at him, then slipped a hand down between them and captured his swollen member. Tetsuya leaned against him, breathing deeply and closing his eyes as Ichigo's hand both washed and pleasured him, bringing Tetsuya gradually to the verge of climax. Ichigo's mouth devoured his shuddering sob of completion as his release joined the soap and water coursing down his wet body. The shinigami substitute washed him clean, then Tetsuya turned towards him, very aware that Ichigo was still, as yet, unsatisfied.

"Would you...erm...?"

Tetsuya blushed brightly and couldn't go on, but Ichigo smiled warmly, instantly comforting him.

"You can if you want to," he answered, "But you don't have to."

Tetsuya met Ichigo's warm, smiling mouth for another bout of kisses, then stunned his ginger-haired friend by very slowly sliding downward, holding on to Ichigo's body as he lowered himself onto his knees. Ichigo stared breathlessly as Tetsuya honed in on his nether region, letting the water run down over both of them as he pleasured the shinigami substitute.

Ichigo groaned delightedly, sinking his fingers into Tetsuya's wet hair and encouraging him. He felt a twinge of sadness at how adept the shinigami youth's mouth was at what he was doing.

_I want to think it's because his lover taught him to be that way, but the truth is that he probably had to be capable or the guards that sexually abused him would also beat him. I can't imagine someone wanting to hurt someone like him...He's...!_

His thoughts went hazy all at once as pleasure erupted through his body and he gave in readily. He felt Tetsuya's blue eyes looking up at him, observing his impassioned expression and smiling as Ichigo flushed and panted provocatively. Ichigo pulled Tetsuya back to his feet and sank into his mouth, eager to taste himself on the other young man's lips and tongue. He sighed contentedly, nearly dozing on his feet as Tetsuya lathered his body and washed him from head to toe, then relaxed against him, enjoying the steady pulsation of the falling water until it began to cool.

Ichigo turned off the water and the two exited the bathtub, drying off on clean towels, then wrapping their towels around them and returning to Ichigo's room to dress in fresh yukatas. Tetsuya yawned sleepily and climbed onto the shinigami substitute's bed, watching as Ichigo finished dressing.

"Are you hungry?" Ichigo asked, "I can make us a snack if you like."

"I'm starving again," Tetsuya admitted, blinking wearily.

"Go ahead and take a nap, if you want. I'll go make something and be back in a little while."

"Thank you, Ichigo."

Tetsuya snuggled down under the covers, listening to the falling rain and his mind replaying their amorous play in the rain and in the shower.

_I love being with Ichigo. He is so caring. I don't know what I'll do when I have to go back to Soul Society. I only know Byakuya-sama there. Well, Byakuya-sama and Orochi. I wonder what Orochi will do when he sees me. He is such a cruel man. I will have to hope that he does not come to Byakuya-sama's home._

A shiver went through Tetsuya as he considered leaving Ichigo behind.

_I don't know if I can leave. Ichigo is my friend now. I trust him. I don't know who I can trust in Soul Society and Byakuya-sama isn't even sure he can protect me. He believes it best if I stay here, for now._

_Maybe..._

_Maybe I won't have to go back..._

He drifted off, lulled by the pitter pat of the rain. And as sleep took over, he began to dream.

_"Run, Tetsuya!" Ichigo screamed, "Go on, get out of here!"_

_"But Ichigo!" he objected, looking back at where the shinigami substitute stood between Orochi and him._

_"Go on!" Ichigo urged him._

_Fire erupted from Orochi's hands, setting the trees on fire all around Ichigo. Tetsuya howled in dismay and ran towards him, only to be forced back as a huge explosion ripped through the forest, swallowing Ichigo whole._

"ICHIGO!" Tetsuya screamed, sitting up suddenly.

He panted harshly, tears leaking down his face as he heard feet pounding on the stairs and the shinigami substitute flash stepped into the room.

"What is it? What happened?" Ichigo asked, looking around.

Sobs wracked Tetsuya's slender body, leaving him unable to answer. Ichigo watched sympathetically for a moment, then sat down on the bed beside him and slipped an arm around his shaking shoulders.

"It's gonna be okay," he said soothingly, "I know that you've been through a lot and you're scared and alone, but you'll be okay."

"I'm not alone," Tetsuya managed brokenly, "I h-have you and Byakuya-sama. I j-just...don't want anything bad to happen to you!"

Ichigo's face registered sudden comprehension and he tightened his hold on Tetsuya comfortingly.

"It's okay. You, Byakuya and me are all gonna be fine. Don't cry, all right? I have you. I'm going to take care of you. You'll be okay, you understand?"

Tetsuya wiped his tears away and nodded.

"Thank you, Ichigo," he said, laying his head on the human youth's shoulder, "I am scared, but...I feel safe with you."

"You are safe with me," Ichigo promised, "I'll always keep you safe, Tetsuya. I promise."

_Naoki could never promise me that._

_Can Ichigo really protect me?_

_Or will he die too?_


	7. To Be Human

**Chapter 7: To Be Human**

Tetsuya woke to a feeling of deep warmth and comfort that he was sure he had never before experienced. Not only was he snuggled down in good, thick, Ichigo-scented bedding, the shinigami substitute, himself, was wrapped snugly around Tetsuya's back and Ichigo's chin rested on his shoulder so that Tetsuya could hear and feel the tickle of his long, soft breaths.

_Naoki and I did our best to keep each other warm, but we had only ragged clothing, some dirty straw and our thin bodies. It was always cold and it smelled bad, except once a week when the guards allowed us to clean out the corners of our cells. I never knew exactly what it was we were missing. I never imagined that freedom, warmth, feeling full and being cared for could be so wonderful. I desired these things blindly because I didn't really understand them. Now that I do, I know I couldn't survive going back. I must never allow myself to be imprisoned again._

_Never._

Tetsuya felt tears on his face again and wiped them away. He felt a powerful rumble in his belly and glanced at the sleeping shinigami substitute.

_I don't want to wake him. He was up a lot last night, comforting me through my nightmares. I wonder that either of us slept at all. But even though my fears were powerful, as he spoke into my ear, his voice began to get inside me. And slowly, as the night went on, that voice protected me so that I could sleep. Yes, when the nightmares came, he was there, and his voice calmed me._

_Thank you, Ichigo._

Tetsuya very carefully extracted himself from Ichigo's embrace and climbed out of bed. He swayed dizzily for a moment and laid a hand on the wooden desk next to the bed to steady himself. He smiled and rubbed the bump on his belly affectionately, waiting for the dizziness to pass. As soon as it had, he gave in to the impatient call of his appetite and crept out of the bedroom and silently down the stairs. He reached the bottom and heard two girl's voices, then peeked around the corner and spotted Karin and Yuzu sitting on the couch, watching what Ichigo had told him was TV. Curious, he focused on the images on the screen and watched as Karin and Yuzu smiled and laughed at what they saw. Seeing girls, not cringing and fearful, but happy and relaxed, chatting and bantering playfully was so wholly different, he felt tears in his eyes again.

_I cry too easily. I see it when I'm with Ichigo. He doesn't seem to cry. I heard Yuzu crying once when she got hurt a little, but even they don't cry like I do. Naoki said that the pregnancy was the reason, but right now, I feel so happy and sad, watching two normal girls._

_Yes, this is what girls are like normally, when they are not imprisoned and facing such pain of brutal beatings and rape as they did in the prison. I never knew girls could be so very pretty and happy. I wish they would always be like this._

A small sniff escaped him and he shrank back as the girls turned their heads in his direction. They went quiet for a moment as Tetsuya wondered if he should try to flee up the stairs.

"Tetsuya-chan?" Yuzu called softly.

She smiled at him as he peeked cautiously around the corner.

"Why are you sneaking around?" Karin asked, her tone reminding Tetsuya instantly of his mother, "If you want to come in with us, it's fine."

Yuzu giggled as Tetsuya's stomach rumbled hungrily.

"I think Tetsuya-chan wants breakfast," she said merrily, jumping up and skipping across the room.

"Good, I'm hungry too," Karin said, following as Yuzu grabbed Tetsuya's hand and dragged him along into the kitchen.

"What do you like for breakfast?" Yuzu asked.

"W-well, I don't really know," Tetsuya confessed, "All we were given to eat where I came from was horrible tasting porridge and weak tea."

"Well, we can do better than that here," said Karin, "Just tell me if you want something cold like cereal or yogurt or something hot like pancakes or fish with rice."

"Hmmm," Tetsuya said, considering, "I seem to be craving something very cold."

"Well, like I said, we have cereal, yogurt or some fresh fruit that's cold."

"We should have a smoothie!" shouted Yuzu.

"A...smoothie?" Tetsuya queried, blinking.

"It's frozen fruit and yogurt that is blended up together with ice to make a fruity, frozen drink."

"I've never had anything like that, but it sounds wonderful," Tetsuya decided, "A smoothie then."

"All right," Karin said, pulling the ingredients out and handing them to Yuzu.

Tetsuya watched raptly as the girls loaded the blender with fruit, yogurt, vanilla and ice, then Karin touched a button and the blender roared noisily, sending Tetsuya back a step, shivering, until he realized that the girls didn't seem intimidated by the noise at all. He relaxed then, observing as the ingredients spun around and mushed together into a thick sludge. Tetsuya wasn't sure at first that he really wanted to try the colorful mixture, but as soon as his lips touched the frothy surface and the icy, sweetness flooded his mouth, he made a sound of contentment and drank deeply.

"Oh no, Tetsuya-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed, taking hold of his hand gently and stopping him, "You'll give yourself brain-freeze!"

Tetsuya reeled as a sharp pain roared through his head and a shudder went through him. Karin stifled a snicker and patted his back sympathetically, while Yuzu rubbed his aching face lightly and smiled apologetically.

"I should have warned you," she chided herself, "It hurts if you drink it too fast, but you will feel better in a minute. It's all right."

"Ah, sorry," Tetsuya panted softly, "There are so many things I don't know about."

"It's okay," Karin said encouragingly, "We're here to help...although we have to go to school soon. Before we go, do you need anything else?"

"Oh, this is fine for now, thank you," Tetsuya said, taking another, more cautious sip of his smoothie."

He sat down at the table and worked slowly at his drink, smiling as the girls chatted and ate their breakfast.

_This is what I imagined a family would be like. They do things together, talk and smile and laugh. They fight sometimes, but even when they fight, it isn't dangerous. They raise their voices as Ichigo did when he yelled at Yuzu-chan for entering his room without knocking. But even though he yelled at her, he would clearly never hurt her. It's a different kind of argument that is noisy, but aimed at solving a dispute, not hurting each other. _

_I am glad. _

_Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan are so beautiful. If I lived with them, I would always be gentle with them because girls seem to have so much heart and intelligence. They are different from males in how they interact with their world. They seem not to be out to conquer and control, so much as to care for the people and things around them. They are able to protect themselves, but the way they are makes me want to protect them also._

"You look like you're pretty deep in thought," Ichigo's voice said from somewhere behind him, "You all right, Tetsuya?"

"Good morning, Nii-san!" Yuzu exclaimed, "would you like some breakfast too?"

"There's some extra smoothie in the blender," Karin said through a mouthful of toast.

"Thanks," Ichigo said, smiling and sitting down beside Tetsuya as Yuzu poured his drink and set it in front of him, "This is good."

"I think it's wonderful," Tetsuya sighed, "I just have to remember not to drink it too fast."

"Yeah, I've done that. It hurts."

"I've never had frozen things, but I can't seem to get enough of them."

"Well, there's a lot in there. You can have all you want. Kisuke said that you should make sure you're eating enough for both you and the kid."

"It's so cute that you're able to have a baby!" Yuzu giggled, "Shinigamis really are very different from humans."

"Yeah, in some ways," Ichigo agreed, "and that's why you have to make sure you don't tell anyone about Tetsuya. If anyone asks, he's a cousin who's staying with us for a while."

"Okay, Nii-san," Yuzu said, nodding.

"Come on, we've got to go," Karin said, getting up from the table.

She looked back at Tetsuya curiously.

"Will Tetsuya-chan be going to school too?" she asked.

"W-well," Ichigo said uncertainly, "I don't know. We have to be sure the wrong people don't see him, so..."

Tetsuya sighed softly as Karin and Ichigo continued their exchange, then the girls ran out the door, slamming it behind them. He felt Ichigo's friendly eyes watching him and looked back at the shinigami substitute with a somber expression.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked, "You've been kinda quiet since Karin asked if you'd be going to school. Do you think you'd like to go?"

"I...I think I want to," Tetsuya said softly, "but...Ichigo, I have no formal education. I can write my name and I can read a little, because there was a man at the prison who agreed to teach me and Naoki in exchange for...w-well, he taught us for a while. Still, I am sure that I wouldn't be knowledgeable enough to go to school at your level. I would only look stupid."

"Hey," Ichigo said warmly, "You're not stupid, Tetsuya. I've been watching you, and you learn things really quickly. And if you want to go to school, there might be something I can do to help."

"Oh?" Tetsuya said, brightening, "What's that?"

"A while back, there was a shinigami who was stationed here who also hadn't gone to a school before. He was from the lower Rukongai, so even though he had some useful powers, he wasn't educated. Kisuke gave him a device that caught him up to the high school level while he was sleeping. He left the thing here when he returned to Soul Society. I could find it and you could use it. You want to?"

"Yes!" Tetsuya answered, smiling widely, "Thank you, Ichigo!"

"Okay, okay, it's no problem. But before you can go to school with me, we'll have to have Kisuke get you a gigai that doesn't show that baby bump."

"Oh," Tetsuya said, looking down at his belly and frowning, "They probably wouldn't understand that at all, would they?"

"Right, but it's okay. I'll get the gigai today and you can listen to the educational device tonight. You can go to school with me tomorrow. I've been slacking off too much lately."

"You have been taking care of me, you mean," Tetsuya said solemnly, "And I am very grateful. But it's time for me to begin getting stronger. I need to be very strong before I can go back to Soul Society."

He caught his breath softly at the hint of sadness in Ichigo's eyes at the words and he leaned closer to the other youth, resting his head on Ichigo's shoulder and earning a happier smile in return.

"But I hope you know, wherever I go from now on, I will never be far from you, Ichigo."

Ichigo's head turned and their lips met for a sweet, lingering kiss.

"Good," Ichigo sighed, "because I've never met anyone like you...and I don't really think I'm going to again...Tetsuya."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you done with that or would you like some more?" Renji asked, peeking over Byakuya's shoulder at the records he was reading.

"Hmmm, more if there is some left," Byakuya answered, tilting his head slightly as he continued to read, "Did you have some? It was wonderful. you are a very good cook, Abarai. Would you like to join my cooking staff?"

"Naw, not much use for Zabimaru in the kitchen. He's good for slicing and dicing, but on a much larger scale, ne?"

"Ah," Byakuya mused, smirking, "That is unfortunate, but you will cook for me on occasion, I hope...especially once we are wed."

Renji grinned and reached around him to rub the barely visible bump on his belly.

"Whatever you want, beautiful!" he sighed, "I just wish we didn't have to keep everything a secret."

"I am working with Head Elder Nori to gain the support I need to win over the Kuchiki council," Byakuya assured him, "It shouldn't be much longer."

"Good, because you won't be able to keep that cute little baby bump hidden for much longer."

He sighed and nipped playfully at the noble's blushing earlobe.

"Are you going to be busy for much longer?" the redhead asked, "All this cooking, watching you eat and read and the belly rub are making me kinda horny."

Byakuya let out a dismissive breath and his lips quirked slightly.

"I suppose I do need a break," he said, starting to set his papers aside.

The papers went flying and Byakuya made a sound of surprise as he was swept off his feet and carried back into the recess in the archive, where the two had spent the night. Renji laid the noble down on his back and fell down on top of him, plunging into Byakuya's equally hungry mouth and plundering it voraciously.

"R-renji, I do need to research more about the Breeders," the noble complained, "Not just for me, but for Tetsuya's sake."

"Okay, okay," Renji chuckled, "Sorry, you're just really turning me on, Taicho!"

"Don't be ridiculous. I was just eating and reading..."

"Mmmmmmm," Renji moaned, "You eat and read prettier than anyone I know!"

"Baka!" Byakuya exclaimed, arching his back as Renji attacked his face and throat with hard, passionate kisses and ran his tanned hands roughly down the noble's writhing torso.

Byakuya groaned heatedly as Renji's insistent fingers hastily prepared him, and he lifted his hips scandalously, eagerly greeting the redhead's body as Renji moved to enter him.

He gazed up through hazy grey eyes, admiring the redhead's powerful, muscular body, and his graceful hands reached upward, his fingers tracing the bold black lines on Renji's golden skin as they kissed and ground hard against each other. Byakuya turned and gained the upper position, clenching at the riled bedding and rocking his slender hips as Renji's bucked forcefully upward, exciting harsh gasps and scintillating hisses of pleasure from between the noble's parted lips. Renji's hands grasped Byakuya's sweaty, grinding hips, holding on tightly as he thrust upward. He loosed an erotic snarl as his loins throbbed wantonly and their heavy movements dragged the two over the edges of pleasure and into a blinding release.

Renji howled loudly as he climaxed and the sound seemed to travel straight down Byakuya's undulating body, making him stiffen and loose his own beautiful finishing cry of surrender. He collapsed onto Renji's damp chest, the two exchanging feisty, biting kisses as the last throbs of pleasure gripped them. Then, they fell into a comfortable stupor, breathing more slowly and sucking indulgently on each other's lips and tongues, enjoying the gentle hum of satedness.

"Sorry I stole you away from your work, Taicho," Renji sighed, "I know it's important to find out all you can about the Breeders and about the old prison they kept your cousin in. Maybe I can help you in a little while, when I can move again."

"You can help by making me something more to eat," Byakuya answered, observing him out of one grey eye, "The seconds you were supposed to bring me have surely gotten cold by now."

Renji grinned and nipped at his lips playfully.

"You've got it, gorgeous. More food for you and the little one, coming right up!"

Byakuya watched as he left, then adjourned to the bathroom, where he cleaned up and washed his face. He left the recess and returned to where his papers had fallen when Renji had stolen him away. Smiling at the memory, he bent and retrieved the papers, shifting them and putting them back into order. One started to slip out and he captured it and looked more closely.

_It is not clear how the fire began before raging through the prison and destroying it almost completely. It did not seem to have been a result of the explosions in the forest that preceded the massacre of the inmates. A council committee ordered into the area concluded that it was likely initiated by a series of concentrated kido strikes._

He shifted the papers in his hands and returned to one he had been reading before.

_A dying prisoner reported that among the punishments they faced was being placed in 'the coffin,' one of several coffin sized holes dug in the floor of the chamber beneath the cells, where offending prisoners were placed and a wooden door shut over them, closing out the light._

"There was a chamber beneath the cells..." Byakuya mused.

He looked at the pictures of the aftermath of the fire and executions, sighing sadly as he remembered the dark futility of that night and the council berating he had endured after.

_"You were reckless!" Councilor Isas accused him, "Not only did you fail to save even one of these purported 'inmates' for us to question, you allowed the grounds and all information regarding that facility to be destroyed. You took no one into custody alive, so we have nothing to say why so many people died. I hope you realize the seriousness of what you have done!"_

"Oh, that's not a good look," Renji said, setting the noble's food down and looking over Byakuya's shoulder at the picture of the prison's ruins, "Is that Itamigiri?"

"Yes," Byakuya answered, frowning, "This...represents the greatest of my failures, Renji, and it is the one thing I would most like to have done differently. The only problem is...I don't know even now what I could have done. The odds were always stacked against us."

He thought back to his meeting with his cousin, holding Tetsuya in his arms and looking into his long-lost cousin's face, feeling the full weight of guilt over his failure.

"It sucks what they did to the mixed bloods," Renji agreed, "but you shouldn't blame yourself. You were a kid then."

"I was an heir," Byakuya corrected him, "And those I went to save were, some of them, family. I had an obligation to them. I failed to fulfill it."

"It wasn't your fault. I've heard some of the elders talk about it and they agreed that someone set you up good that night. Remember, they tried to kill you too that night."

"Yes," Byakuya sighed, "but I had protectors. Tetsuya and the ones in the prison had no one. They cried out in desperation and no one came. If I had one chance to do this over, I would give them an answer...and even if they still died, I would let them know that their cries for justice were not in vain."

"Well, you've got Tetsuya-kun back," Renji reminded him, "You may not be able to help the ones that were lost, but you can help him."

"Yes, I can," Byakuya said, brightening slightly, "And I think I will help him better by going there, to Karakura Town, than staying here."

"You want to go to Karakura Town?" Renji asked, "Can I go too?"

"Of course," Byakuya said, frowning as he picked up a photograph of Orochi standing near the ruins of the destroyed prison, "If Tetsuya is going to come home, you and I will stop at nothing to make sure that he is strong enough so that when they come after him, he will repel them."

"You're going to take a teenager who's spent most of his life in a prison and turn him into a fighter?"

"No," Byakuya said firmly, "I am going to take Itamigiri's only _survivor _and turn him into a _warrior_!"


End file.
